Campus lockdown causes confusion

Axel Brito

Crimson Chronicle Reporter

Early this morning, students were forced to wait outside while police responded to a report of a man possibly armed with a gun on Selma Avenue only a half a block from campus.

The only information was an 8:20 a.m. text message to parents, “Hollywood family: Please be aware that LA School Police has instructed us to put the school on Lockdown Procedures due to police activity in the area. Students are being secured in doors until we are given the all clear.”

Despite this reassurance that students were being secured indoors, students stood outside
with little information being provided to them. This continued until 8:38 am, when the doors to
campus were opened and the Daily Pass was not in use.

Students flocked in and were told to enter any room on the first floor of the main building. This led to students being cramped into rooms and later led upstairs in available classrooms to lockdown until the all clear was given.

“I was just confused, honestly,” said August Vignau, PAM senior. “Usually when you pull up to school everybody is in school, but this time there were 50 to 100 students standing outside, so I was kinda confused.”

He did not enter campus immediately as he felt uneasy with the situation. As to whether staff handled the situation appropriately, he said, “I can’t say no, cause yeah we’re safe right now, but I can’t say yes either because I am still confused, and I’m not sure what was happening.”

This occurred the day after a two-hour staff training on how to deal with an active shooter situation. Last semester a possible shooting was reported.

At 7 a.m. someone on the Citizen app posted “Report of Person Armed with Gun” at Selma Avenue and North McCadden Place. Residents in the area were advised to stay inside.

At 9:43 a.m. Principal Samuel Dovlatian announced over the intercom, “There is no threat on site, everyone on campus is safe. It is an offsite matter and LAPD is dealing with it.”

The lockdown ended at about 10 a.m., when a man inside a tent was arrested, according to KNBC News.

Larchmont Charter School, previously Selma Elementary, was also on lockdown.

from campus but it is important to note that this was an incident reported by individuals and not
police or media.
9:43 am update: Principal Dovlatian stated the following to students over the intercom, “There is
no threat on site, everyone on campus is safe. It is an offsite matter and LAPD is dealing with it.”

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