Two days before Interlake High School went into lockdown following alleged threats and rumors of a shooting the Bellevue School District and Bellevue Police Department held a joint seminar discussing what to do in an active shooter situation.

According to police, they and school district officials put the school into lockdown after receiving an online threat agains the school, and because of the indeterminate time it was going to take for police to investigate the credibility and source of the threat further.

After police determined there was no incident, school district officials decided to cancel classes for the rest of the day and release students classroom by classroom.

The investigation into who posted the threats and rumor of a shooting is ongoing and anyone with any information is encouraged to contact the Bellevue Police Department.

The seminar held at Bellevue High school, led by Officer Scott Montgomery, the department’s active shooter trainer, the hour-long seminar was attended by roughly 50 members of the public, district officials and school faculty.

It was the most well attended of the four meetings held in the last several months. The two previous audiences averaged between 15-20 people.

The first meeting, held in December at International School was unattended and ultimately cancelled, just days before the school was shutdown and classes cancelled following alleged threats from one of its students who claimed he was going to “shoot up” the school. The second meeting was held at Interlake on Jan. 27.

The irony wasn’t lost on Montgomery who said, “it isn’t a matter of if this is going to happen in Bellevue, but when.”

“As the Bellevue community, we are lulled into a sense of security,” he told the crowd. “What happens if some guy walks in out that back door and starts unloading on people? Are you ready? What would you do?”

During the presentation Montgomery simplified what people should do to three scenarios; “Run, Hide or Fight.”

The average active shooter incident in the United States from the first shot lasts five minutes. What people choose to do in that time could save a lot of lives, he said.

“In an active shooter situation all bets are off,” he said. “Be familiar with your surroundings and environment before an emergency occurs. Know the entrances and exits, areas where you can hid and objects that can be used as weapons. If you think you can get out, get out. Don’t stick around. Don’t wait to be slaughtered.”

Montgomery said the only way students are going to be prepared for it when it comes is to train for what to do.

“If you are not mentally prepared, you are placing the safety of yourself, your students and your co-workers in jeopardy,” he said. “Observe, orient, decide and act … action always beats reaction. No action is no longer acceptable.”

He also said simply locking down the school in an active shooter situation “creates victims.”

“Basically you’re saying I’m locking myself in the room and waiting for the bad guy to come kill me,” he said. “Our objective here is to offer you options that will mentally prepare you for an active shooter incident.”

A representative for the school district said a series of age appropriate videos is being developed to get as many students trained as possible. Officials are also working to have Montgomery’s training instituted in all Bellevue School District buildings as an annual training.

A teacher at the International School said she and other staff members have had discussions about “Run, Hide, Fight” for the last year with each other and conversations with students about coming forward with information and how they can take care of others in crisis.

Montgomery ended the seminar stating he was willing to give the training anywhere, anytime for free. For more information about the training contact the Bellevue Police Department’s non-emergency line at (425)- 452-6917.