Soap Lake Schools Put on Lock-Down Friday Morning

Schools in Soap Lake, WA were put into modified lock-down Friday morning.

This happened after Grant County Sheriff's recognized a man with outstanding felony warrants and tried to make contact with him. The suspect began running from authorities, eventually leading them to a house in the 300 block of route 20 North West, just outside Soap Lake.

The suspect refused to come out after being hailed by deputies and barricaded himself inside the residence. It was at this time that area schools were placed on a modified lock-down to ensure security.

More sheriff's deputies, Soap Lake police and a canine unit responded to the scene. The suspect eventually gave up without incident, exited the home and was taken in the custody.

According to Grant County Sheriff's Department Spokesman Kyle Foreman, "The Soap Lake School District went into modified lock-down, which means that the students were free to move within the buildings, but the doors were locked and nobody could enter, or exit the building." He adds that the lock-down was lifted several hours later, around 1:30 in the afternoon.

There are 3 primary version of lock-downs in place across the country:

A Level 1 lock-down means that there is a threat (be it a shooter, criminal, etc.) nearby, who's not necessarily targeting the school itself. The school will be locked until law enforcement officials state that everything is clear.

A Level 2 lock-down means that the threat is on the actual property and more likely to cause harm. In this instance, students and educators would immediately barricade themselves in the nearest room and stay quiet.

And lastly, a Level 3 lock-down refers to life-threatening danger. For example, a threat on the property poses immediately harm to students and staff. In this instance, students and staff would act in a similar fashion as a Level 2 lock-down, but with law enforcement actively on scene.