The Escondido Union School District superintendent said an elementary school did not follow protocol when administrators waited at least 10 minutes to call police after spotting a man with a gun on campus last week.
Superintendent Luis Ibarra met with parents Tuesday night to discuss the Aug. 31 incident, when a suspect with a high-powered rifle strapped to his back rode his bike onto the Oak Hill Elementary School campus as he escaped the scene of a burglary.
About 60 kids were outside playing at the time. Police say the suspect took a shortcut home through a break in the school's chain link fence.
The school was locked down, but administrators decided to first call the school district’s office. It took between 10 and 11 minutes for them to report the suspect to 911.
The man was later arrested after a SWAT standoff away from the school. However, as word spread about the school’s handling of the situation, criticism began to flood into the district office.
"If it is your baby, you want them to call 911 first and ask questions later, and it didn't happen," said parent Jessica Simmons.
Ibarra told NBC 7 he hoped to alleviate some of those concerns at Tuesday's meeting.
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He called the incident a learning opportunity for the school.
"We should be notified, but that's always after the fact,” he said. “First and foremost, get your students and yourselves and your staff to safety, notify 911, and then notify the district office."
No one will face disciplinary measures at Oak Hill Elementary following the incident, according to the superintendent.
But Ibarra promised to create more secure campuses. He said the district has hired security and will order more dependable fencing at the front and back of schools. Most importantly, they are retraining staff on how to handle emergency responses.
"Why would he wait for this to happen in order for them to have an action," said Concepcion Ibarra, the mother of an Escondido student. "So you still question it. I do."
At the meeting, the Escondido police chief did give credit to the teachers who were able to describe the suspect and help lead police to him. As they arrested him, they recovered three weapons.
