Updated 4:17 p.m.–
Sentinel staff report– Citrus Heights police said Sylvan Middle School was locked down Wednesday morning after reports were made of gunshots heard near the school, although the reports were later determined to be “unfounded.”
In a posting at 10:36 a.m. on social media, the police department said the school had been locked down as a precautionary measure and that officers were on scene investigating. About 10 minutes later, the department said it appeared the reports were “unfounded” and said the lockdown had been lifted.
Police Lieutenant Dave Gutierrez later told The Sentinel that a school resource officer at Mesa Verde High School had “heard what sounded like gunshots” coming from an area near Sylvan Middle School, which is located several blocks to the south of the high school. He said several other residents also reported hearing something similar to gunshots.
The school lockdown lasted approximately 20-30 minutes while police cleared the campus, Gutierrez said. An extensive canvass of the area was also conducted, which involved a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department helicopter.
“As of right now, we’re not able to confirm that any shots were fired or what the source of the sounds were,” the lieutenant said. “But all the kids are safe and we didn’t find any evidence of shots being fired.”
The incident occurred during the same time students around the country were participating in a 17-minute “walk out” to advocate for legislative action on gun control and remember the lives of 17 people who were killed in last month’s school shooting in Florida.
Lt. Gutierrez said students at Sylvan Middle School were not involved in the nationwide demonstration and police do not believe gunshot report had any relation to the walk outs.
