On December 16, 2021, at around 0700 hours, Klickitat County 911 Operators received a call reporting a student with the Columbia High School in White Salmon, Klickitat County, Washington, had received a text message from another student, advising not to go to school due to threats against the school.
Deputy Dwayne Matulovich responded to the call and identified the actual threat that had been made against the school. The threat identified the Columbia High School specifically and identified December 16, 2021 as the day the threat would be carried out.
Deputy Matulovich was able to track the threat to the exact electronic device where the threat had been originated. Deputy Matulovich was also able to identify the 14-year-old suspect who had made the threat.
Deputy Dusty Vorce responded to assist Deputy Matulovich with the call. The Bingen-White Salmon Police Department also assisted in the investigation. Deputy Matulovich contacted the 14-year-old suspect and determined the threat to not be credible.
Later in the day, the Sheriff’s Office learned of a TicTok threat challenge where students are being challenged nationwide to refer to or call in threats of violence against schools. The Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agency’s in Klickitat County are taking any threat serious, despite the TicTok challenge.
The Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office is able to work with social media providers to track individuals who are calling in or making various threats, and the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office will be requesting any appropriate criminal charges against those who make threats against the schools in our county.
Sheriff Songer would like to thank the Columbia High School for their partnership with the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies in making safety a top priority in our schools. Sheriff Songer would like to warn anyone who commits a crime using an electronic device, that they leave a digital trail that is easy for law enforcement to follow and use when prosecuting criminals.