Paso Robles High School went through a lockdown after there was a report of a possible gun on campus Friday morning.
After two students reported they thought they saw another student on campus carrying a rifle, the school locked down immediately.
It was discovered that the supposed gun was an umbrella.
“Two students possibly saw an individual on campus that may have had a weapon. They described it as a long gun,” said Paso Robles Police Commander Tod Rehner.
“We’ve got a system in place to address these things,” said Paso Robles High School Principal Anthony Overton.
The report of a gun on the Paso Robles High School campus led to an immediate lockdown of the campus.
“There was concern and the kids were told to report that kind of thing,” said Paso Robles JUSD Superintendent Dr. Curt Dubost.
Dubost said the students that reported the incident did the right thing by reporting it immediately.
“We checked security cameras and saw what they were referring to,” said Dubost.
Paso Robles police used the school security footage to ultimately find the potential suspect.
“They provided security footage. We were able to look at that security footage as we set up our perimeter and we quickly determined that it didn’t appear to be a weapon. We identified the individual, contacted him, and he had no idea what was going on,” said Rehner.
“It was hard to identify who it was carrying an object that very much looked like it could be a long rifle. We didn’t think it was, but obviously, we couldn’t take a chance, so we went into lockdown, called the police, and were able to identify who the student was,” said Dubost.
“We were able to look at our protocols, debrief, and refine things to make sure we are communicating, we’re working with our police department, and most importantly keeping kids and staff safe and calm during a situation like this,” said Paso Robles JUSD Deputy Superintendent Jen Gaviola.
“Our partnership with Paso PD is so strong and the department's support in general helps,” said Overton.
