Gresham High School's doors were locked due to gun rumors

Rumors that there were guns on the Gresham High School campus prompted administrators to place the campus on “secure” status and close its exterior doors to outsiders for about 2.5 hours on Wednesday.

According to the Gresham-Barlow School District, students and staff continued to hold classes indoors, but no one was allowed in or out of the school until the end of the school day. The school's most recent enrollment count showed about 1,700 students.

In messages to students and their families, the district said the reports of guns on campus were unfounded and appeared to be “related to the rumors that have been circulating (in) the community all week.”

The district said Gresham police are on scene investigating and monitoring the campus. In one of its announcements, the district referenced an incident on Sept. 20 when police arrested a 17-year-old student who allegedly brought a gun onto campus after threatening a community member. School officials wrote in the message that the student did not return to school or make any threats toward other students.

Police said the school's move to “safe” status was sparked by what appears to be a “cycle of recurring online threats and rumors” on social media, where details are “slightly altered, embellished with each sharing or retelling.” or were lost”. Detective Adam Wright said in an email to The Oregonian/OregonLive on Wednesday.

“We investigated and found no new or credible threats,” Wright said.

District spokeswoman Athena Vadnais said a “safe” status is not a lockdown.

Wednesday marked at least the eighth time this school year that police were called to investigate the potential for gun violence in Oregon and southwest Washington.

On Sept. 27, police arrested a Woodburn middle school student after he allegedly threatened to open fire at Valor Middle School on TikTok. That same day, West Salem High and several other schools were placed on lockdown after a student was reported to have a gun nearby. A week earlier, Rex Putnam High School in Milwaukie went into “secure hold” mode after someone left threats in the form of graffiti on a restroom.

Also in September, the Molalla River School District closed all of its schools due to a student's threat on social media, Newport police arrested a high school student who made a threat online, and Camas police investigated an 11-year-old brandished a weapon near Skyridge Middle School in Camas while school was closed.

— Aimee Green covers breaking news and the justice system. Reach them at 503-294-5119, [email protected] or @o_aimee.

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