BUSD: Reports of gun, lockdown at Berkeley High unfounded

Rumors that circulated Friday afternoon about a person with a gun on the Berkeley High campus proved untrue, Berkeley Unified tells The Berkeley Scanner.

A parent contacted The Scanner around 1:40 p.m. after their child reported being barricaded inside a classroom in Building M.

The parent said their child's teacher had gotten a call to place the classroom in "soft lockdown," with the door locked and no one allowed to leave, for a period of time.

The Scanner immediately contacted police and the district to learn more.

Ultimately, BPD and BUSD both said a speedy investigation had determined there was no weapon. The district said there had never been a lockdown, either.

Berkeley Unified provided a statement to The Scanner just before 3:30 p.m.

"We are aware of a social media post and rumors indicating that some part of BHS is on lockdown and/or that someone on campus was found with a weapon. Neither of these are true," BUSD said.

According to BUSD, "several students made comments about someone potentially having a weapon. Administrators and safety staff immediately located the involved students and were able to determine that there was no threat to our campus."

Police told The Scanner that the school resource officer, a Berkeley police officer focused on the BHS campus, had been notified around 1:20 p.m. that a student from another city might have come to Berkeley High with a gun.

Berkeley police officers circulated outside campus, found that person and determined that he had no weapon at that time, BPD said.

According to BUSD, several students "said they were joking when they made comments about a potential weapon on campus. We will continue to work with our students about the power of words and their individual responsibility."

Do you know someone who was on the Berkeley High campus Friday and has firsthand knowledge of what students were told during this incident? The Berkeley Scanner would love to hear from you.