Bank robbery in Tacoma’s Stadium District led to modified lockdown at nearby school
A bank robbery Tuesday in Tacoma’s Stadium District led to the modified lockdown of a nearby high school, police confirmed. No arrest has been made.
Tacoma Public Schools spokesperson Kathryn McCarthy told The News Tribune that Stadium High School, 111 N. E St., went into modified lockdown Tuesday. A modified lockdown means that something is happening in the surrounding area, but there is no immediate threat in the school.
During modified lockdowns, people don’t come in and out of the building, McCarthy said. Business is otherwise conducted as usual.
“So if we have any outdoor activities planned for students, we’re going to limit that, but classes are running,” she added. “A lot of times, students might not even know that we’re in a modified lockdown because things are just running as normal, and what we’re trying to do is minimize any disruption to classes.”
Tacoma Police Department spokesperson Shelbie Boyd told The News Tribune that a little after noon Tuesday, an employee of Umpqua Bank’s Stadium Branch, 601 N. 1 St., reported the robbery. No weapon was implied, and the suspect ran away, Boyd said.
Stadium High School then went into modified lockdown, Boyd said. A TPD officer also headed to the area to ensure the fleeing suspect did not wind up at the campus.
People at a nearby business said they might have seen the suspect, Boyd said.
Around 12:40 p.m., the Police Department told school patrol that it would be safe to lift Stadium High’s modified lockdown, Boyd said. TPD also advised Tacoma General Hospital in the event that the suspect wandered that way.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comment from Tacoma Public Schools.
This story was originally published September 10, 2024 at 3:32 PM.
