Students with weapons caused Leesville Road school campus lockdown, Wake schools say

Leesville Road Elementary, Middle and High Schools went on code red lockdown Monday after a neighborhood resident called 911 to report someone walking in the area with what looked like a firearm.

Police identified three students in connection with the call. Two had weapons: two pocket knives and an airsoft BB gun, Heather Lawing, a spokesperson for the Wake County Public School System, said in a phone interview.

“We would like to take this opportunity to remind you that these airsoft guns, which some parents and students mistakenly regard as ‘toys,’ represent a threat to the safety of our students and staff,” the principals told parents in an email. “They are strictly prohibited on school property.”

“Appropriate disciplinary action” will be taken against the students, including possible long-term suspension and legal prosecution, the email stated.

Federal student privacy laws prevent the system from specifying the actions the school will take against each student, Lawing said.

Code Red Lockdown

The lockdown lasted from around 12:50 p.m. until around 1:30 p.m.

In a code red lockdown, no one may enter or exit school buildings, as a precautionary measure. People are only allowed to enter and leave after the police give the “all clear,” Lawing stated in an email to The News & Observer.

The school system responded to parents who complained about a lack of notification of the lockdown on Twitter saying, “In an emergency, staff is first responsible for maintaining safety in the building. Communication to parents must come second.”

The system notified parents about the lockdown at around 1:20 p.m. and then notified them it was lifted at around 1:45 p.m. in a message, Lawing stated in the email.

This story was originally published February 24, 2020 at 3:28 PM.