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Washington County honors sheriff’s office after multi‑agency probe that linked local tip to out‑of‑state school‑shooting threat
Summary
The Washington County Board of Supervisors read a formal commendation recognizing the sheriff’s office and dispatch for investigating an anonymous tip that led to coordination with federal and out‑of‑state authorities and, officials say, helped stop a potential school shooting plotted for Valentine’s Day.
The Washington County Board of Supervisors on May 7 formally commended the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for its response to an anonymous tip that county officials said led to the disruption of a planned school shooting in another state.
The board read a resolution praising detectives and dispatchers who, according to the text read into the record, pursued an anonymous tip that originated outside the United States, coordinated with Sandy Hook and the FBI, and helped connect a local IP address to a suspect in Indiana. Sheriff Martin Scholte is quoted in the resolution saying an “absolute catastrophe was thwarted.”
The resolution, read by the county clerk, recited investigators’ actions: surveillance of a 19‑year‑old in Addison, execution of a search warrant, evidence collection that included photos of ammunition, tactical vests and magazines, and communications tying the local person to an out‑of‑state suspect who admitted plotting an attack on Valentine’s Day. The text names multi‑jurisdictional SWAT involvement and follow‑up by the FBI in Indiana.
County Executive Josh Shohman and County Board Chair Jeffrey Schleif co‑signed the resolution acknowledging the sheriff’s office “for their astute handling of information on a viable school shooting threat and for their daily contributions to keep our great community of Washington County safe.” The board offered a public commendation and thanks to the officers and dispatchers named in the resolution.
The resolution provides no further procedural direction, funding, or operational changes; it is a formal recognition of the sheriff’s office work as described in the staff report and resolution text.
Board members spoke briefly to thank the sheriff’s staff and to highlight the county’s coordination with state and federal partners. No formal action beyond the reading and commending language was recorded in the transcript.
The county clerk’s presentation of the resolution and the sheriff’s remarks took place during the meeting’s “personal appearances/commendations” portion of the agenda.
