Two young men were arrested Tuesday following a lockdown at Scripps Ranch High School prompted after school security guards saw the suspects on campus, one of whom was possibly armed with a gun.
San Diego police officers scoured the school and the surrounding area at around 11 a.m. via ground crews and a police helicopter.
By 11:40 am., San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) officials confirmed the high school had been placed on lockdown.
Meanwhile, police officers detained and arrested two juveniles. One was taken into custody on campus and the second suspect was arrested less than one mile away from the school.
One witness told NBC 7 police pulled the second suspect out of a swimming pool where he appeared to be hiding at a nearby apartment complex.
“They were arguing with him, because he was fighting them,” the witness explained. “I’m glad they caught him. It was pretty scary.”
At around noon, SDUSD officials shared this message on their Twitter page: "Scripps Ranch HS parents. Please do not come to campus. Students cannot be released during a lockdown. All students are safe."
Local
Officials lifted the lockdown by 12:30 p.m. After everything was said and done, Capt. Joe Florentino of the San Diego Unified Police Department said the lockdown was in place for a total of 90 minutes.
Florentino said the security guard who reported the suspects on campus told police the young men were acting suspicious. The guard said he saw one of the suspects hiding "something in his shirt," possibly a weapon.
When the guard tried talking to the suspects, they ran away, Florentino said. One was detained on campus right away while the other was arrested a short time later off campus.
School police said neither suspect is a student at Scripps Ranch High School. As of right now, no weapon has been recovered.
The incident left both Scripps Ranch High School students and parents on edge.
Senior Katie Mohns told NBC 7 she was in the nurse's office when she heard news of the lockdown over the school loudspeaker. At first she thought it was a drill, but soon realized it was the real thing.
Mohns said school staffers quickly pulled students into classrooms and told them to stay away from all of the windows and doors. She said she couldn't help but feel frightened.
“It was like the scariest moment of my life. I kind of broke down and started crying like a little girl," she said. "The staff made me feel safe though, so it was fine. The staff did a pretty good job of keeping us safe and calm.”
Mohns said she never thought she would actually have to go through a campus lockdown. The student said she was extremely relieved when it was over and when she reunited with her mother after school.
Meanwhile, mother Sharmina Ali said she felt the stress of the situation while waiting for her son outside the school.
Her son -- an 11th grade student -- called Ali to tell her what was going on.
“He told me they are in lockdown. There is someone in school. I told him, ‘Turn off your cell phone; mute it and don’t pick up or anything. Just pretend – just lie on the ground,’” she said.
More than 2,200 students attend Scripps Ranch High School, which is located at 10410 Treena St.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
