Judge sets $1 million bond for former student for school shooting threats

A judge on Thursday set a $1 million bond for Ryan B. Lee, the suspect in a second school shooting threat in a year at Lewis and Clark High School.

Lee was arrested Wednesday while out on bail for a similar case in May and in the latest case allegedly threatened two of the same female students at LC, one of whom is 15 years old.

Lee, 18, appeared Thursday in Spokane County Superior Court in front of Judge Raymond Clary. He faces two charges of harassment, cyberstalking threats to kill, communicating with a minor for immoral purposes and violating a protection order.

Lee, who is no longer an LC student, confessed to opening an Instagram account used to make the threat after initially denying it, according to court documents.

Court documents state an Instagram account on Sunday posted images of two LC students with a red circle and cross over their heads and a caption that read, “Put a bullet between their heads.” Another picture showed the entrance to LC with a caption reading, “Shooting up that Lewis and Clark high school pretty soon.”

Another post from the account stated, “its weir (sic) how (the victim) still gets (statements omitted) … Lewis and Clark while the dumb Asian or Mexican kid gets sent to jail and expelled for the high school for saying yes to the act that was made by me,” according to court documents.

The account, from username dan_theman_n, matched an IP address from Lee’s house in Spokane and showed similarities from an account linked with Lee from his previous suspected crimes in May.

Lee also allegedly messaged a female student at Lewis and Clark and said he would shoot her family. He also reportedly sent pornographic images and messages and threats.

The account has since been deleted, according to court documents.

Lee’s attorney, Derek Reid, said someone unknown was able to use Lee’s IP address to create an Instagram account, which was used to send the threats.

“We look forward to finding out who did this,” Reid said. “… there’s somebody out there who either thinks it’s funny or thinks that they can draw attention to what’s going on in relation to these threats at this school.

“Somehow, whoever is creating this account is able to mask their identity.”

On Wednesday, FBI agents and SPD investigators entered Lee’s residence with a search warrant and seized four computers, four iPads, cellphones belonging to Lee’s relatives and other electronics, according to court documents. The electronics are being analyzed.

Crime victim advocate Bridget Eismann spoke on behalf of the two unnamed female victims – both of whom were victims in the 2019 case and in the 2018 case – and said there has been little peace of mind for them.

“These threats and images are terrifying to them,” she said.

The investigation into the 2018 allegations against Lee found he was allegedly researching school shooters, serial killers and phrases such as “Can the FBI track your phone,” and “Can the FBI track Instagram Accounts.”

In November, Lee’s parents, Lewis and Sarah Lee, told investigators they believed Lee was being set up, even though Lee had previously confessed to creating the accounts and sending the messages in May.