SLO County elementary school put on lockdown after student said they saw man with gun
An elementary school in Atascadero went on lockdown Tuesday afternoon after a student saw someone with a weapon near campus, according to the Atascadero Police Department.
Police officers responded to a call at Santa Rosa Academic Academy around 1:35 p.m., according to an agency news release.
During a school break, a student playing on the northern edge of the playground saw a man retrieve what appeared to be a weapon from a vehicle and take it into a nearby residence, the release said.
“The child could not articulate the make or model of the weapon,” officer Jeffrey Wilshusen told The Tribune. “They described it as a long rifle or a shotgun.”
Minutes after police arrived on the scene, they placed the school on lockdown, secured the perimeter of the campus and initiated an investigation.
Despite a thorough search of the surrounding area, officers were unable to identify the specific location that the student reported seeing the suspect and weapon, the release said.
Officers confirmed during the investigation that the individual never directly threatened or pointed the weapon at the student, the release said.
Officers and district administrators lifted the shelter-in-place order at 2:09 p.m. after determining that there was no immediate safety threat and that no crime had occurred, Wilshusen said.
The school resumed normal activities for the remainder of the day.
This story was originally published October 8, 2024 at 4:46 PM.
