Threats received by e-mail and text to High Schools principals and others Last Thursday resulted in the closure of all schools, across multiple schools districts plus the local Community College, in Flathead County. Flathead County is along the western border of Glacier National Park and is one of the fastest growing counties in Montana (approaching 100,000).
The FBI was called in to bring their expertise. They had been in communication with the people making the threats. A local weekly paper also communicated with them upon receiving a call from those making the threats.
It was decided that schools would return students to schools tomorrow.
School is resuming across the Flathead Valley on Tuesday after law enforcement gathered new information that further indicates the source of last week’s cyber threats is not local.
New information, collected by law enforcement and the Beacon, is coming to light surrounding cyber threats that emerged last week and forced the closure of more than 30 schools and the cancelation of numerous school-related activities through the weekend.
School staff across the Flathead Valley will return Monday, Sept. 18, and classes will resume with students on Tuesday, Sept. 19, administrators said Sunday night. Law enforcement will have a presence on all public school campuses. Student activities and athletics will resume Tuesday.
The following is a recollections of the conversation with these hackers.
The Beacon has also been in communication with the suspect since Friday after the individual contacted the newspaper seeking an interview via electronic message through a secured line. The Beacon contacted law enforcement after receiving the request and later shared details of the conversation in the interest of public safety. Law enforcement confirmed the secure line sent to the Beacon was the suspect’s.
The Beacon is publishing portions of the conversation with the suspect to shed light on the threat and investigation. Much of what the individual stated was extremely graphic in nature, and the Beacon is not going to print a majority of those statements at this time.
Beacon reporter Dillon Tabish along with Editor in Chief Kellyn Brown communicated with the suspect via electronic messages.
“As a journalist I’m compelled to tell you that if this devolves into inflammatory statements or threats, I will not engage in that kind of conversation,” Tabish told the suspect. “Why are you doing this?”
During the course of the conversation, Tabish tried multiple times to understand who the suspect was, where he or she was from, why the individual was making the threats and why they were targeted at area schools.
The individual said on multiple occasions in various ways that he or she intended to kill people in large numbers. The suspect said they were heavily armed with “extensive training.”
“If you know anything about military weapons … it should scare your region,” the person said.
When asked again why he or she was targeting the Flathead Valley, they responded that they wanted to scare people and harm as many people as possible.
“I wanted the public to exist in a state of fear before I make my move. This will allow the government protecting your children to look poorly in the light of the public,” the suspect said.
The individual later elaborated, “The quaint, small, backwoods region of the US like yours is prime hunting grounds. This incident is the last thing you will expect to happen here.”
Tabish asked if the individual was politically motivated, and the individual responded, “My only two purposes are to exterminate human life and smear your government.”
The person expressed pride in the closure of schools, asking, “When was the last time schools were closed this long because of a ‘threat’?”
Tabish asked if there was anything that could be done to change the individual’s mind, and he or she responded, “I might consider an immense donation to my mental health recovery fund. It could fix my mental health issues.”
Tabish asked about the individual’s mental health issues and if they were receiving help.
The individual responded with a threatening statement about murdering people and then added, “Does it sound like I am getting help? Do you think I am foolish? Of course I am not mentally unhealthy. I am of clear mind. I just like to kill people.”
Later in the interview, the suspect asked if the Beacon was going to publish the conversation.
Tabish responded, “I will discuss this with my editor and determine what is relative to our community. We’re not in the business of fear mongering, though. If you want to talk without inflammatory speech, contact me again.”
The individual said if the Beacon was not willing to publish his or her words, they would go to another media outlet.
“That’s your choice,” Tabish responded.
flatheadbeacon.com/…
All this for $150,000 in Bitcoin.
Awaiting an updated report.
Tuesday, Sep 19, 2017 · 1:04:14 AM +00:00 · MTmofo
The Beacon Editor offers his thought on how they handled their role in this matter.
At 6:23 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14, an email sent through our website’s contact form landed in my inbox. I opened it the next morning.
It read: “I am the one threatening schools in the area. I want to be interviewed.” The person who sent it claimed to have set up a secure SMS line (for electronic messaging) and provided a phone number to communicate through.
I immediately called reporter Dillon Tabish, who had been covering the cyber threats that had already closed schools across the county for two days. We agreed to forward the online inquiry to the sheriff’s office, which confirmed the email was sent from the suspect.
flatheadbeacon.com/...