LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Desert Oasis High School was placed on lockdown Wednesday while Clark County School District police investigated a report of a weapon on campus, the school's principal said in an email notifying parents of the situation.
As of 1:30 p.m., police had the area around the school blocked off, and were expected to hold a media briefing about the lockdown.
Lt. Bryan Zink, public information officer for CCSD Police, said officers were thoroughly searching the school but had not located a weapon.
He said officers were checking back with the students who initially reported that one of their peers brought a gun to campus.
In situations where a weapon is reported at school, Zink said police will search every classroom, nook and cranny they can. A K-9 trained to sniff out firearms was brought to the school as part of the search, he said.
CCSD police plan to continue the search until they know for sure whether the report is true or not, he said.
Zink said he understood the frustration of parents waiting to collect their kids, but police "can't just release everybody, because we don't want to release that out in the community."
"Just because we didn't locate anything on campus doesn't mean we're done," Zink said.
So far this school year, Zink said CCSD Police have recovered 23 firearms brought to schools.
He added that, in these situations, rumors can spread quickly on social media and cause concern for parents, but parents should not drive to their child's school when it's on lockdown. If there had been an emergency, parents blocking the road could have delayed first responders getting to the school.
Zink urged parents to talk to their kids about guns and encourage them to notify an adult if they see something at school that shouldn't be there.
Parents who want to prevent similar incidents can be responsible gun owners, he said. Specifically, he cautioned against leaving your gun in your car overnight. He also recommended writing down the serial numbers of all your weapons so if they are stolen, you can more easily report the theft.
Have conversations with your children about what is right and not right, Zink urged. Check their backpacks and their social media profiles.
"Be that nosy parent, that's all we ask," he said.
