Arrests after firearm callout
Two people have been arrested after reports of a gunman forced a Palmerston North suburb into lockdown.
Police responded to reports a firearm may have been fired on Milson Line at 10.50am. Stuff understands the incident happened near the Milson shopping centre, and there were cordons at Tweed, Ruahine and Featherston streets.
Police said the armed offenders squad was called in after the suspects fled. Officers were investigating if there were any other offenders linked to the incident and there were no reported injuries.
Several schools in the area were in lockdown as a precaution.
Freyberg High School principal Peter Brooks said the school went into lockdown at 11.27am after he received a text alert on his phone.
The pupils spent 13 tense minutes on the floors of their classrooms with the doors locked, until the school was given the allclear.
‘‘No one knows why we went into lockdown. But I saw the armed offenders squad off in the distance, across Skoglund park.’’
Ross Intermediate principal Wayne Jenkins said in an emailed statement that the school was instructed by police and the Ministry of Education to go into lockdown.
Pupils were kept safe and secure, and he commended the maturity they showed while the protocols were in place.