DESOTO—As of 1:20 pm Monday DeSoto High School is on a temporary lockdown after an unverified threat was received on Twitter.
DeSoto Police Department announced the lockdown around 1:20 pm Monday, citing “an abundance of safety,” as the reason for the lockout.
According to a statement from DeSoto ISD both the high school and middle schools are on lockdown as a safety precaution. There is no immediate threat at this time. All students are safe and accounted for. Security and district leadership are on hand to ensure the safety of all students.
During the procedure, nobody is allowed to enter or exit the building.
“We’ve had no issues in the school so far,” said Sgt. Williams, DeSoto police public information officer.
He said there is no evidence to suggest the threat is credible.
Lockdown Procedures
Parents are encouraged the avoid the school and Eagle Drive during the lockout as an excess of cars can impede police procedure.
While the names may be very similar, what happens during a lockout and lockdown is very different. During a lockout, the perceived danger is outside of the school. School administrators move all students and activities inside and ensure the building’s perimeter is secured.
During a Lockdown situation, the perceived danger is inside the building. When a Lockdown is announced, the Standard Response Protocol “Locks, Lights, Out of Sight” is initiated. Classroom doors are locked, lights are turned off and students are moved away from windows and doors. Students are encouraged to remain quiet.
Safety Update
According to DeSoto ISD Spokesperson Tiffanie Blackmon-Jones, by 2:13 pm all DeSoto ISD campuses have been searched and no weapons have been found.
“DeSoto ISD Leadership and DeSoto Police Department worked together to comb the entire building to ensure the safety and security of all present,” said Blackmon-Jones. “No weapons were found. Students were relocated to various areas within the building and around the campus to ensure the safety of all present.”
Contrary to social media posts or theories officials contend that there were no active shooters or shots fired on campus. Furthermore no students were injured.
“All threats to DeSoto ISD are taken seriously including those made on social media. Such threats will not be tolerated and we will ensure all threats are dealt with to the full extent of the law and the district code of conduct,” she said. “Thank you to DeSoto Police Department for their swift and active response to ensuring safety and security in DeSoto ISD.”
Blackmon-Jones says that DeSoto ISD does in fact have stringent lockdown procedures. The district implements periodic lockdown drills to ensure students and staff are prepared in the event of an emergency.
