Lockhart High School lockdown lifted after threat investigation

Lockdown at Lockhart HS lifted after threat

Lockhart High School was locked down Thursday afternoon so police could investigate a possible threat.

LOCKHART, Texas - A lockdown at Lockhart High School has been lifted following a threat investigation.

The school was placed on lockdown on Thursday for an hour as police investigated a possible threat. In a letter to district parents and staff, Superintendent Mark Estrada gave more details on what sparked the lockdown.

'The reports consisted of a text-message screenshot which included vague details of a threat from an unidentifiable source," Estrada said in the letter. "It circulated and incited fear rapidly among the student body, which prompted Lockhart High School administration to call the lockdown."

The Lockhart Police Department then responded and completed a thorough investigation. The threat was determined to be "non-credible" and the lockdown was lifted at 2:07 p.m.

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Nearby Navarro Elementary, Cub House, and Clear Fork Elementary were also placed on "secure" status out of an abundance of caution, says Estrada. The secure status has also been lifted.

"We understand that misinformation rapidly circulated regarding the lockdown, but want to be clear that at no time was any student hurt or injured," said Estrada in the letter.

Estrada also says that the district has a Crisis Intervention Team of professional counselors available to students and staff who may need or want help as a result of the lockdown.

READ THE FULL LETTER BELOW

Today, Lockhart High School was in lockdown status from 1:06 PM until 2:07 P.M. out of an abundance of caution due to reports of a threat. The Lockhart Police Department quickly arrived on campus, completed a thorough investigation, and determined the threat to be non-credible.

The reports consisted of a text-message screenshot which included vague details of a threat from an unidentifiable source. It circulated and incited fear rapidly among the student body, which prompted Lockhart High School administration to call the lockdown. While we are grateful that Lockhart P.D. has confirmed the threat to be noncredible, this situation highlights the extreme dangers of spreading false information and to report concerns to proper authorities immediately.

We understand that misinformation rapidly circulated regarding the lockdown, but want to be clear that at no time was any student hurt or injured.

As soon as the lockdown was called, Lockhart P.D. was notified and we initiated communications to all Lockhart High School parents. Nearby campuses of Clear Fork Elementary, Navarro Elementary, and the Cub House were placed in "Secure" status out of an abundance of caution. "Secure" means that operations continue as normal within the building, but all students and staff remain inside and no one is allowed in or out of the building.

We are extremely grateful to Lockhart P.D. for their quick response, to our staff for implementing safety response protocol, and to our students for their cooperation during the lockdown. Situations such as this may be distressing for your child and for your family. Lockhart ISD has a Crisis Intervention Team made up of professional counselors trained to help with the needs of students, parents, and school staff in difficult moments such as this. Counselors are available for any student or staff member who may want help surrounding this event.

We are grateful to the students who brought the threat to our attention, which allowed our staff and Lockhart P.D. to move swiftly. Please know that you may always utilize our "ALERT LISD" feature on the lockhartisd.org website to report a potential threat.

Thank you,

Mark Estrada

Superintendent

Lockhart ISD