ELLENSBURG, Wash. — After an investigation into a reported threat of school violence, Ellensburg Police Department officers took two Morgan Middle School students into custody.
Police said two students raised concerns with school officials, prompting the department’s school resource officer (SRO) to launch an investigation.
The SRO found that the two eighth-grade girls had been planning a school shooting, and the school district removed them from campus as a precaution, police said.
Authorities took the girls into custody and are referring them for charges of conspiracy to commit murder.
Investigators said the plan was not carried out in part because the students did not have access to firearms.
Police added that neither girl is considered a threat to the school or the community.
The department also thanked the students who reported what they heard to school staff, emphasizing that early reporting is critical in preventing violence.
Because the case involves juveniles, police said they will not release their names or any identifying information.