Reports of shots fired near Vandenberg Space Force Base placed Vandenberg Middle School and Manzanita Charter School on lockdown and caused a shelter-in-place order to be issued around 10 a.m. on November 19. Vandenberg law enforcement and Sheriff’s Office deputies conducted a thorough sweep of the area and gave the community the “all-clear” around 1 p.m., according to a press release from the Vandenberg Space Force Base. No injuries were reported, and all students were accounted for.
The Space Force was completing a separate Emergency Response Exercise on the base, which included an active shooter drill, when they were dispatched to the middle school. “However, this scenario was conducted in a different area of the base and is unrelated to today’s incident,” said the Vandenberg Space Force Base on Facebook. The Space Force has put its exercise on pause as a result of the incident, but plans to continue Wednesday morning.
“These moments highlight the importance of our rigorous training and our strong connection with local law enforcement,” said Col. Mark Shoemaker of Vandenberg law enforcement. “The safety of our community remains our highest priority.”
Vandenberg personnel will continue patrolling the area and remain on the scene to support school staff with student pick-up. The investigation is ongoing.
