Students at a Santa Rosa High School were ordered to shelter in place on Thursday after one student threatened others in the library.
“Officers were dispatched to Piner High School for reports of a student brandishing a knife on campus. A 15-year-old student had been in an argument with several other students and threatened them with a knife. The 15-year-old (boy) then left the library and left the campus after the altercation,” the Santa Rosa Police Department wrote.
The boy was later detained by police officers.
According to investigators, they confirmed that the student had brought a knife on campus on Tuesday, but did not find a second knife on Thursday.
Witnesses of the Thursday incident told police that it appeared the boy had a second knife in his pocket.
“The students feared he was going to come after them with it,” police said.
Police arrested the 15-year-old boy on suspicion of possessing a weapon at school. He was later released to his parents.
Normal school activities resumed for the afternoon.
“The Shelter in Place order was lifted for Piner High at 12:15 p.m. The Santa Rosa Police Department completed a thorough search of the campus and confirmed that there was no longer a threat to safety on our campus,” Principal Andrea Correia wrote.
The principal said a lockdown was not necessary for the incident, and explained what shelter-in-place protocols are.
Correia explained, “Shelter in Place is a precautionary measure against a potential safety threat in the area. Shelter in Place requires locking all classroom/office doors and closing entrance and exit points on the school’s perimeter. The objective is to protect against a potential threat to our school campus.”
Correia continued, “We ask that if you see something, say something right away. We strive to ensure a safe environment for our students and do not take potential threats to student health and safety lightly.”
