Report of man with gun near Mountain View HS prompts lockdown, then ‘secure’ status; police search finds no one

(Update: Principal's letter to families)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A report of a man possibly carrying a handgun near the Mountain View High School football and baseball fields prompted a brief lockdown before classes began Tuesday morning and a subsequent “secure status” for about a half-hour, but no one matching the description was found, authorities said.

Bend Police responded to the report of a person possibly armed with a gun near the football and baseball fields, Communications Manager Sheila Miller said.

A caller around 8:25 a.m. reported seeing a white man in his early 20s, wearing a white shirt and a blue baseball bat and possibly carrying a pistol, Miller said.

A Bend Police school resource officer was on scene at the time of the call, and Bend Police, along with Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies, responded to the area.

The school initially went into lockdown, but that was changed to a secure status, with the front door as the only entrance for those arriving to start the school day.

A BLConnect text indicated the secure protocol was called “for a potential safety threat outside. Front entrance is open for students to enter.”

“Secure is our protocol used to safeguard people within the building,” a subsequent text stated. “Students are proceeding to their first class of the day.” A few minutes later, there was a follow-up text: "Students and staff are safe, and school is in session as usual."

Police used drones to search the area, and officers in vehicles and on foot searched the school campus, as well as the parking lot and surrounding neighborhoods, Miller said. No one matching the description was found.

The school left secure mode shortly after 9 a.m.

Miller said SROs and other police remained on scene to ensure there is no threat to students and staff. An increased police presence may continue throughout the day.BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Mountain View High School went into a brief lockdown, then an outer doors-locked “secure” status Tuesday morning due to “a potential safety threat outside” the building, officials said. The front entrance remained open and classes began as usual.

Bend-La Pine Schools Communication Director Scott Maben said the school was “briefly in a lockdown” around 8:30 a.m., before classes began, then transitioned into the “secure” mode, where “the doors are locked, but school is happening as usual inside. We’re not allowing people to come and go.”

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Here's the letter sent by MVHS Principal Michael Hicks to families:

Dear Mountain View Families,

This morning we initiated safety protocols just before the school day began. At 8:24 a.m., Bend Police advised us to place our school in a Lockdown based on a phone call about a potential threat outside the building. Lockdown is the protocol we use to secure individual rooms and keep occupants quiet and in place during a threat or other emergency.

A Bend Police School Resource Officer was on scene at the time of the phone call and Bend Police, assisted by Deschutes County Sheriff’s deputies, responded to the area. On the recommendation of law enforcement, we transitioned quickly from Lockdown to a Secure.

Secure is the protocol we use to safeguard people within the building when a potential threat exists outside the building. Everyone remains inside, and outside doors are locked. We were able to release the Secure at 9:03 a.m.

For details of what police were responding to, please see the Bend Police news at the end of this message.

While this safety event presented some challenges based on the timing, with students still arriving for the first class of the day, I want to share that our staff and student body responded efficiently and appropriately, relying on the training we do for such events. I’m very proud of our campus community today for looking out for one another, and I let our staff and students know that this morning.  We also let students know that if they feel like talking with an adult about the response this morning, they are welcome to reach out to any teacher, administrator or counselor for support.  

As always, we encourage students, families and community members to feel comfortable reporting threats, potential threats or suspicious activity. If you see something, say something. SafeOregon is a reporting tool that can be used by anyone via iPad app, phone call or web form to report a safety concern.

Thank you for your partnership in making Mountain View High School a safe and welcoming place for all students.

Michael Hicks, Principal