Ferndale students with guns that looked real spark school lockdown
Ferndale students had lookalike guns at high school: police
Ferndale police said three replica guns were recovered at the high school Tuesday morning, which led to a temporary lockdown at the high school and middle school.
FOX 2 - A lockdown has been lifted at Ferndale High School and middle school Tuesday after students brought what appeared to be firearms to class.
Officials: Ferndale students had lookalike guns
What we know:
Ferndale High School and Middle School were locked down briefly Tuesday morning.
The school district said in a message to parents the school had been responding to a report that students had brought items to school that looked like guns.
A classmate told FOX 2 that one of the students had also been smoking in the back of the classroom. Ferndale school officials said that was not true.
Ferndale Police said three replica guns were recovered, and that four students were taken in for questioning Tuesday morning. One of those students was released and the others will have a hearing.
What we don't know:
It's not clear if anyone will be charged.
Police also didn't identify the students.
What they're saying:
"The items were determined not to be real firearms," said a statement from the school district. "The students involved were identified and removed from the building, and their families have been contacted. This was an isolated incident, and there is no ongoing threat to our schools."
The school district said that even when items aren't real, bringing anything that looks like a weapon to school is taken seriously.
Ferndale police are investigating the incident.
"It causes real fear and pulls emergency responders into action," the district said. "The students involved will face consequences under the Student Code of Conduct, and the Ferndale Police Department is continuing its investigation."
For students who felt traumatized by the incident, the school district is offering counselors.
"We're grateful to our staff and the Ferndale Police Department for their quick response, and to our students for following lockdown procedures so well," the statement said. "Please take a moment tonight to talk with your child about why look-alike weapons are never a joke."
The Source: Information for this report is a statement by Ferndale Public Schools released to parents and information from the Ferndale police chief.