Campus Alert Archive
EvCC

'Not a Drill': An Emailed Threat Locks Down Two Washington Community Colleges at Once

WAthreat of violenceemergency notificationmedium confidence
UnfoundedNo evidence of an actual threat was found. The institutional response is documented because the alert communication is identical to what would occur during a real incident.

On the morning of May 9, 2022, Everett Community College in Washington went into lockdown after a threatening email referencing explosives and firearms was discovered, with a 7:33 a.m. alert stating 'Not a drill.' Skagit Valley College locked down its campuses around the same time over a related email. Police found no credible threat, and EvCC lifted its lockdown by 8:58 a.m. but stayed closed for the day.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Everett Community College
Community College · WA
~19,000 students
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTTwitter/X
Verified verbatimMy Everett News — quotes the 7:33 a.m. EvCC lockdown alert verbatim137 chars
EvCC's main campus in Everett is in lockdown due to a threat to campus. Not a drill. Lock doors. Seek shelter. Avoid being seen or heard.
My Everett News quoted the 7:33 a.m. PDT alert verbatim: the main campus was in lockdown due to a threat to campus, with the staccato 'Not a drill. Lock doors. Seek shelter. Avoid being seen or heard.' instructions.
The threatening email had been sent around 8 p.m. Sunday, May 8, and was discovered by staff Monday morning, creating an overnight delay between threat and alert.
The 'avoid being seen or heard' instruction mirrors standardized Run-Hide-Fight lockdown guidance.
ALL CLEARTwitter/X+1h 25m
Approximate reconstruction125 chars
The lockdown at Everett Community College has been lifted. In-person classes and services are canceled for the rest of today.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

HeraldNet reported that at 8:58 a.m. PDT EvCC tweeted the lockdown had been lifted but that in-person classes and services were canceled for the rest of the day.
This is a genuine all-clear because it lifts the lockdown, though the campus closure continued for operational reasons after the threat was cleared.
A follow-up tweet at 9:39 a.m. confirmed all campuses and centers would be closed for the remainder of Monday.
Context

Background

Everett Community College in Snohomish County, Washington, locked down its main campus on the morning of May 9, 2022 after staff discovered a threatening email sent the prior evening that referenced explosives and firearms and included racist language. EvCC's 7:33 a.m. alert told the campus it was 'Not a drill' and to lock doors, seek shelter, and avoid being seen or heard. Skagit Valley College locked down all its campuses around the same time over a related threat, and several area colleges had received similar emails the previous Friday. Police found no credible threat; EvCC lifted its lockdown at 8:58 a.m. and closed for the day. The episode shows a coordinated multi-college threat wave and the lag created when a threat arrives overnight and is only seen the next morning.
Analysis

Key Findings

EvCC sent a 7:33 a.m. PDT lockdown alert stating 'Not a drill' after an overnight threatening email referencing explosives and firearms was discovered
Skagit Valley College locked down its campuses around the same time over a related threat, part of a wave that hit several area colleges
EvCC lifted the lockdown at 8:58 a.m. but kept the campus closed for the day, confirmed by a 9:39 a.m. follow-up
The case highlights the overnight-threat lag problem: the email was sent Sunday evening but only seen and acted on Monday morning
Outcome
Everett police and other agencies swept the campuses and concluded there was no credible threat. EvCC lifted its lockdown at 8:58 a.m. and announced a full-day closure at 9:39 a.m. Several area colleges had received similar emails the prior Friday.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    'Threat' sends Everett Community College into lockdown - HeraldNet
    heraldnet.com
  2. News
    Online Threat Forces Closure Of Everett Community College Campus - My Everett News
    myeverettnews.com
  3. News
    UPDATE: Skagit Valley College, others in region received email threat prior to lockdown - Cascadia Daily News
    cascadiadaily.com
  4. News
    'Not a drill:' Threat spurs lockdown at Everett Community College, Skagit Valley College - KOMO News
    komonews.com
  5. Source
    2 Community Colleges Cancel Classes After Threats - Inside Higher Ed
    insidehighered.com
Tags
threat-of-violencelockdowncommunity-collegewashingtoneverettemailed-threatnot-a-drillunfoundedemergency-notificationUnfounded
Added May 2026Updated June 2026Via ingestion