West Orange HS shelter-in-place lifted after search confirms no firearm on campus
Students said the lockdown lasted about an hour. Some described the situation as frightening.
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West Orange High School was briefly placed on lockdown Wednesday morning after reports that a student may have brought a weapon onto campus, according to the school’s principal.
The lockdown began after students reported concerns about a possible weapon. The student in question was taken into custody while police searched the building, including a full K-9 sweep.
No gun or ammunition was found, but the student was found with an empty magazine.
In a message posted to Facebook, West Orange High School Principal Oscar Guerrero said the district acted out of caution.
“We take every report seriously and respond accordingly,” Guerrero wrote in part. “We thank our students for speaking up and encourage everyone, especially in today’s climate, to continue reporting anything that seems out of the ordinary so we can keep our community safe.”
Students said the lockdown lasted about an hour. Some described the situation as frightening.
“We were told that we were in a shelter in place, but then we heard sirens and we heard the commotion outside,” Tay, a student at West Orange High School said. “And then we saw K-9 dogs, so then we all automatically went to panic about what was happening.”
West Orange police told News12 the school was all clear just after 11:30 a.m.
The school day went on as normal, though many families went to pick up students early following the incident.
“They were still in a shelter in place, and she was sending me pictures,” said Lilly Gomes, who was picking up her sister, “She was telling me how SWAT was coming and showed all the policemen in the front yard.”
