Welcome to L.A. TACO’s new monthly education column, “The L.A. Public School Report.” If you have any story tips, send them to janette@lataco.com for consideration.
Yesterday morning Franklin Highschool in Highland Park was briefly placed on a school-wide lockdown, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles School Police Department (LASPD) confirmed with L.A. TACO Monday evening.
At around 8:45 AM yesterday, authorities received a report of “a person in possession of a gun in a classroom,” the spokesperson said. “Franklin High is on lock down at the moment,” a concerned family-member took to Twitter just a few minutes later. “My nephew just text (sic) me but doesn’t know why. He hasn’t heard any loud noises like gun fire.”
Officers began searching the campus upon arrival for a suspect or victims. “After searching the campus and reviewing all the safety concerns, the determination was made that the school could be released from lockdown and resumed normal operations,” a spokesperson for LASPD said in a statement on Monday.
In recent weeks a number of Southern California public schools have faced similar threats. Hollywood High was shut down last month while police searched for possible victims or an active shooter. And earlier this month, ABC 7 reported that Segerstrom High School in Santa Ana was locked down after police received “an anonymous call reporting an armed suspect on campus.” Police found no threat and the school reopened.