Lockdown lifted at Harrisonburg High School, officials say

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Update: As of 1:54 p.m., the HCPS website announced the lockdown has been lifted at Harrisonburg High School. The HCPS says everyone is safe, and the HPD performed a sweep of the entire building and parking lot.

Harrisonburg City Public Schools (HCPS) announced that Harrisonburg High School was placed on a lockdown today.

The announcement was posted on the school district’s website Monday morning and said the following:

“Harrisonburg High School has been placed in a lockdown, and the Harrisonburg Police Department is involved. We will notify parents when the lockdown has been lifted.”

The lockdown was lifted around 1:45 Monday afternoon.

Michael Richards, HCPS Superintendent, said police were investigating an alleged weapon on campus.

“Students and staff are doing a great job of locking down and allowing the HPD to investigate. We will inform the community of the outcome of the investigation as soon as we can,” Richards said to WHSV in an email.

According to the City of Harrisonburg’s Facebook page, there was an altercation between students that took place this afternoon. HPD is interviewing all parties involved in the incident. There is no immediate threat to the school’s campus or the surrounding community.

HCPS posted the following on its website once the lockdown was lifted:

Today HHS was put under lockdown due to a suspected weapon at the school. The school remained in lockdown while the Harrisonburg Police Department swept the building and parking lot. The lockdown has now been lifted. Everyone is safe, and all involved parties have been identified and are speaking with police.