A report of people wearing masks with knives at a high school in Gulfport has sent students and parents into a state of panic on Monday after a lockdown was initiated for about two hours.
Around 10:15 am, the Gulfport Police Department received a call from Boca Ciega High School concerning three individuals “wearing ski masks and knives,” said GPD. The school was locked down immediately, with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Pinellas County Schools Police, Indian Shores Police Department and local firefighters converging on the location of the crime.
No threat was found by the authorities, but the individual described in the call has been captured by CCTV cameras leaving the school premises. Law enforcement is currently trying to identify the individual.
Fortunately, no one has sustained any injuries. The school was allowed to reopen at 12:22 p.m. After the lockdown ended, parents were informed about the case through a message sent out by the school, according to GPD.
Photos from the scene indicated that there was an increased law enforcement presence on the campus in the morning as the sweeps were carried out. There has been an alarm among the Gulfport community members after the news about the threat to the school reached the parents.
It is unclear whether the threat was real and whether the person who appeared on the surveillance videos had any intentions to cause harm. The investigations are still going on, and the police department has requested everyone who has information to contact them.
The lockdown happens against the backdrop of the current concerns regarding school security in Florida and in the country.
