Kent students robbed at gunpoint, threatened while walking to school, parents testify

Kent students chased, threatened and held at gunpoint

Parents in Kent have reported several students walking to and from Mill Creek Middle School being stalked, threatened, and even robbed.

KENT, Wash. - Parents in Kent have reported several students walking to and from Mill Creek Middle School being stalked, threatened, and even robbed.

Wednesday night at the Kent School Board meeting, one distressed single mother shared that her sons were held at gunpoint.

"My son tells me, ‘They were going to kill us, we had a gun to our head,’" she said to the board. "We filed a police report, we notified the staff to see if we could receive any support."

She expressed concerns that the incident happened last October and, in the four months since, the district has failed to support her. Students who live within 1.75 miles of the campus have no district transportation. They’ve got two options: take public transit or walk.

"Our house is within the boundaries where we do not receive transportation," she said. "We have no buses, so my question is: how can we offer more security?"

During the board meeting, another man came with a list of quotes from middle schoolers at Mill Creek, describing terrifying experiences during that walk. Among the shocking anecdotes he shared:

"I was walking to school with my friends and there was this homeless man carrying an axe and walking around."
"There was a homeless man who walked near me… he came, and he had a knife and said ‘Give me your phones, or I will kill you now.’"
"I saw a lot of drunk people and my friend was followed by one of them."
"Another time we were crossing the road and a car sped by us and crashed into another car and the front shattered into pieces, and it was very close to hitting us."

Mill Creek Middle School is in the heart of Kent. Framed by industrial businesses, cars zip past the school’s main entrance on Central Ave N.

FOX 13 has reached out to Kent Police, the Kent Mayor’s office, and the Kent School Board for comment. The Kent School District has repeatedly refused interviews. They confirmed the following via email:

"The incident referenced at last night’s board meeting happened last October. Kent Police investigated the incident in partnership with our Kent School District Safety Services team. This is a long-standing partnership with consistent open lines of communication. Our Safety Services team monitor school walking routes in the valley and there is a Kent Police officer parked at Mill Creek to provide a security presence in the area. There have been no reports of this type of incident since October."