Update: Sonora High School Lockdown Lifted

Sonora Police Department logo

Update at 515 p.m.: For a second time this month Sonora High School has been put on lockdown — this time for “off-site law enforcement activity.” The lockdown began around 2:15 p.m. but it was lifted about a half hour later. Sonora Police spokesperson Cpl. Thomas Brickley updated Clarke Broadcasting regarding the threat, “We got a call of a subject having a mental health issue who was making statements about self-harm that he may go towards the area of Sonora High School.” He added, “Our officers responded to the school and had the school go into lockdown as a precaution while we checked the area. Our officers were able to locate the individual at the Washington and Stockton Streets intersection and were able to get him treatment without further incident.”

The man did not have any weapons on him and did not make threats to harm anybody else, noted Cpl. Brickley. As an added precaution officers also went to all schools and local parks within the city searching for him. When asked whether the community should be concerned after three school lockdowns [two at SHS and one at Sonora Elementary] in one month, Cpl. Brickley advised, “I would say that we need to remain vigilant. We are always going to take the safety of our community and schools as number one. So, if we need to place a school on lockdown while we ensure that safety, then we will do that, but we do not see this as being a trend.”

Further details on the school’s announcements and two other lockdowns this month.

Update at 2:50 p.m.:  Sonora High School went on lockdown for a second time this month due to “law enforcement activity off-site.” The lockdown began around 2:15 p.m. but has been lifted with school administrators sending out this message to staff, parents, and students, stating, “[shs] Sonora High School has been given the all clear by law enforcement.  The Shelter in Place is lifted.  Students will have 6 minutes to proceed to their 6th-period class.  Softball and Baseball, please report to the field or bus loading zone.”

Clarke Broadcasting has reached out to Sonora Police regarding that off-site activity but has not yet received a response. When we do, we will update this story.

The school had sent out two earlier messages that can be viewed below along with other details regarding past lockdowns.

Original post at 2:30 p.m.: Sonora, CA — Sonora High School is on lockdown for a second time this month. The school has sent out two messages to staff, parents, and students.

The first one stated, “[shs] Law enforcement has notified Sonora High School of law enforcement activity off-site that warrants Sonora High School locking down as a precautionary measure. We will update as more information becomes available.” The second one stated, “[shs] Sonora High School will continue to shelter in place.  Please ignore all bells and remain inside. We will update with additional information soon.”

We have reached out to the Sonora Police Department but have not heard back yet regarding the “law enforcement activity.”

On April 6th, the school was put on lockdown after a report of sounds like “shots fired” around 12:30 p.m. near the science building on Shaws Flat, across from the main campus, as detailed here. After evacuating students and a sweep of the campus, Sonora Police released this statement,  “The school campus is clear, all students have been released, everyone is safe, and we found no evidence of suspicious activity.”

Also, last week, Sonora Elementary School was put on lockdown on Tuesday, April 11th, after dispatch received a call just before 10 a.m. reporting a suspicious person walking along Greenley Road and possibly armed. That person was found and questioned by police and was not armed, as earlier reported here.