Report of student with gun prompts Ridgeview HS lockdown; no gun found, no arrests
(Update: adding new video and comments)
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Ridgeview High School in southwest Redmond was placed under lockdown for nearly 100 minutes Thursday afternoon while police investigated a report of a student on campus with a gun, but they later said no gun was found and no arrests were made.
Here's the full text of a news release issued by the school district and police late Thursday afternoon.
Redmond School District & Police Department Joint Media Release Regarding Ridgeview High School Lockdown
Redmond, Ore. – At approximately 12:43 p.m. today, Dec. 9, 2021, Ridgeview High School went into lockdown after staff received a report of a student on campus with a gun. Redmond Police were notified and responded immediately. Students remained in lockdown for approximately 98 minutes.
At this time, there is no known threat to students or staff at Ridgeview High School. No arrests were made. There are no injuries, and all students and staff are safe.
Students were released from their classrooms beginning at approximately 2:10 p.m., and all students were out of the building by approximately 2:30 p.m.
Students and staff were quick and cooperative in their response to the lockdown order, allowing staff and law enforcement to ensure campus and student safety. Redmond Police, aided by school staff, conducted a thorough investigation, including speaking to students who may have known about the reported gun on campus. No evidence of a firearm on campus was found.
A lockdown occurs when a threat happens inside of the school facility. When this happens our school and classroom doors lock, lights are turned off and students are asked to remain quiet while the threat is addressed by law enforcement. We train on a regular basis with students and staff using the I Love U Guys Foundation Standard Response Protocol.
Lockdowns are traumatic for students and staff, and we recognize these incidents have short and long-lasting impacts. Redmond School District will have additional staff at Ridgeview High School tomorrow to talk with students.
Students who'd never experienced such a lockdown situation were worried and had little info to go on.
Sophomore Alison Barker said, "We didn't really know much, so we were trying to, like, figure it out and piece it together."
Junior Ashlee Brittsin said, They didn't tell us, like, anything that was going on, so my sister ended up texting me, saying like they have it uner control."
Some parents also felt the information could have come quicker. Danielle Isais said, "I think they should have let us know a little bit earlier, because I was already here -- our students had already communicated with us that they were in lockdown, so I know a lot of parents showed up the same time I did."
Earlier info:
Redmond School District spokeswoman Sheila Miller said around 1 p.m. that the lockdown -- a security measure which means all exterior and interior doors are locked and students and staff shelter in place -- had been in place for just a few minutes, but she had no additional information. (A parent in the building told NewsChannel 21 it began around 12:30 p.m.)
About 1:35 p.m., the school district issued this statement:
"Ridgeview High School is currently in lockdown. Redmond Police are on the scene. We have secured the building and called all RVHS families to let them know. We ask that families do not come to the school site to pick up their students. We will release more information as soon as we can."
Redmond police posted a couple of minutes on their Facebook page that officers were on scene "investigating reports of suspicious activity. As a precaution, students and staff have been placed in lockdown."
Around 2:15 p.m., NewsChannel 21's Jordan Williams tweeted that he "saw a couple of groups of students exit the east side" of the school.
Before 2:30 p.m. came this update from the school district:
"The lockdown at Ridgeview has been lifted. We have sent a phone call to all Ridgeview families letting them know that. Students will be released via our lockdown protocol and buses will run as normal. Students were released at 2:20 p.m. We will share further information when we have it. "
Ridgeview High School on SW Elkhorn Avenue opened in 2012 and has over 1,000 students.
