DENVER (KDVR) — A lockdown has been lifted at Northfield High School in Denver after a weapon was reported on campus Thursday morning.
The Denver Police Department said two suspects were safely taken into custody off-campus after a paintball gun was recovered.
A spokesperson with Denver Public Schools initially said there was a report of a student with a weapon on campus.
“Campus was put on lockdown. Two schools were impacted, DSST Conservatory Green and Northfield High School. DPD and the Department of Public Safety are investigating. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, students may be allowed to leave campus for the day,” said Will Jones with Denver Public Schools.
Northfield High School said there was no discharge of firearms and no students have been harmed.
Here is the statement released from Northfield High School:
“We know you all are anxious and scared and there are many rumors flying around. I can say that we are in lockdown, not lockout, in all buildings on campus. The site of the incident appears to be confined only to Building 3, the gym building, and law enforcement officers have been clearing students out of that building safely. There are numerous officers and vehicles on campus right now. There has been NO discharge of firearms and no students have been harmed to my knowledge. Given the strength of the law enforcement response, clearly DPD and DPS are taking this situation very seriously and doing a very professional job of handling this matter. If your student is not yet on campus, please keep them home. If they are here, keep in touch with them and reassure them that the incident is being handled with utmost regard for safety. We are all hoping it is a false alarm, but we definitely understand how terribly scary and anxiety-provoking it is, especially given recent events in Texas.”
Denver Police Department Police Chief Paul Pazen said during a news conference that all students at the high school are safe.
“We want to commend a student who saw something suspicious, who saw something that looked like a potential threat and advised the campus security team at Northfield,” Pazen said.
Police responded to the campus within three minutes.
“With one touch of a button we were able to secure this campus and it has six buildings. In three minutes our partners with DPD arrived,” Denver Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero said.
Northfield High School was closed for the remainder of the day Thursday.
DPS said students and teachers were released by classroom onto buses to the Northeast DPS bus terminal on Dallas Street, just north of Northfield Boulevard. Parents were reunited with their students there.
According to Denver Police, the two suspects who were taken into custody were released to their parents on Thursday evening. The investigation is still ongoing and charges are still pending.
According to FOX31 Legal Analyst and former 18th Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler, the criminal history of the two suspects may play a role in how they are punished.
“I, in no way, think this is a ‘kids will be kids,’ approach. If that were to be true, then law enforcement wouldn’t be involved at all,” Brauchler explained.