San Marcos High School Put on Lockdown over Suspected Gun Threat

A suspected gun threat led to San Marcos High School being put on lockdown Thursday morning. The incident stemmed from a conversation between two students at Santa Barbara High School about whether one of the students “had a gun,” according to a ParentSquare Post by the Santa Barbara Unified School District. 

A staff member at Santa Barbara High overheard the conversation between the two students — who were later determined to be students at San Marcos and La Cuesta High School —  before the students reportedly left the campus.  

“Due to the seriousness of the report, law enforcement was contacted and immediately went to both schools [San Marcos and La Cuesta] to investigate,” the district said. 

San Marcos was placed on lockdown while law enforcement investigated the report, and a student was immediately detained by law enforcement, according to the district. However, no gun was found and the student was released. Shortly after, the lockdown was lifted once it was determined the campus was safe. 

School staff may have been exercising extra caution, seeing as this false-alarm comes in the wake of last week’s shooting at a Georgia high school, in which a 14-year-old boy allegedly killed two teachers and two students using a gun hidden in his backpack. 

The incident also follows the local high schools’ recent crackdown on cell phones, requiring students to place their phones in “cell hotels” before each class period. However, the district said that students would be allowed to have their phones in emergency situations, such as a Thursday’s lockdown. 

“All SBUSD schools have safety protocols to ensure students and staff are safe as incidents arise,” the district said. “We know how difficult it can be to receive messages like this. The safety of our students, teachers, and staff is a top priority. Thankfully, all are safe.”