Teen with fake gun prompts lockdown
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misidentified the student’s gender based on incorrect information provided by police. The story below has been corrected.
Longmont High School was placed on lockdown and student dismissal delayed Wednesday afternoon in response to a report of a female student with a gun, according to Longmont police.
Officers located the teen, who had a fake gun, Longmont police spokeswoman Robin Ericson said. She did not say where the teen was found.
The lockdown was lifted around 3:30 p.m., and students were allowed to leave the school shortly after. No one was hurt during the incident.
An initial email from the St. Vrain Valley School District, sent at 2:59 p.m., said the school was placed on secure status because of “police activity in the surrounding neighborhood that is unrelated to the school.” About 15 minutes later, a follow up email said the school “received a report of a potential threat and out of an abundance of caution is currently on lockdown. District officials and law enforcement are currently investigating.”
A third email from Longmont High Principal Jeff Mcmurry said the school received a report of a potential weapon sighting near the school. The school initially went into “secure” status with outside doors locked, then Longmont police told the school to move to a lockdown.
“Student safety is our highest priority, and I would like to commend our students, staff and teachers for following all safety protocols,” he wrote. “I would also like to thank our law enforcement partners for their quick response.”
He added that counselors will be available to talk to students if needed.
Two nearby schools, Longs Peak Middle and Mountain View Elementary, also were briefly placed on “secure” status while police investigated. Secure status means all students were brought inside and the outside doors were locked.
Longmont Times-call
Longmont United Hospital conducted a safety drill about 1:40 p.m. Wednesday, about an hour before schools in the area responded to a report of a student with a gun.
An announcement was made over the hospital’s PA system warning hospital guests of an active weapon threat in the west parking lot of the building, said a Longmont woman who was at the hospital during the drill.
However, the activity at the hospital, at 1950 Mountain View Ave., was unrelated to the lockdown at Longmont High School, less than a mile away.
“To ensure the safety of our patients and staff, we routinely conduct safety drills which took place today. There was no immediate threat at the hospital,” Centura Health Communications Field Advisor Meredith Ritchie wrote in an email on Wednesday evening.