News

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Emergency at San Marcos High School

9:00 p.m. Lockdown Lifted at San Marcos High School, Regular classes resume Friday
News release from the Santa Barbara County Sherriff's Department and the Santa Barbara School Districts (pdf)

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3:45 p.m. Update
Thursday, October 1, 2009

The Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department has completed its search of the San Marcos High School campus following this morning's report of a male teenager with a handgun near campus.

Groups of students are now being allowed to leave school. Parents wishing to pick up their child are being directed to meet them at the Turnpike Shopping Center at Hollister Avenue and Turnpike Road.

We want to thank the students and parents for their patience and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department for the thorough work they did in keeping children safe. Teachers and staff have done a fine job handling a very difficult situation.

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1:30 p.m. Update
San Marcos High School remains on a lockdown that began at approximately 10:15 a.m. in response to a report of a subject with a gun near the campus. To protect the safety of students and staff, the school was immediately locked down and law enforcement responded. During a lockdown students and staff must remain secured in their classroom or offices. The Santa Barbara Sheriff Department is searching the area including the San Marcos High School campus.

Our students are safe and law enforcement is doing its job of making certain that the San Marcos is secure. Until their job is completed, students will remain locked down in their classroom.

When the Sheriff's Department deems the situation safe, they will begin releasing students. Parents wishing to pick up their child will be directed to the Turnpike Shopping Center.

We will update this web site and send out TeleParent information to San Marcos parents as soon as the sheriff department determines that it is safe to release students. We do not yet have a estimated time for that release.

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11:30 a.m. Sheriff’s Deputies Search Neighborhood
News release from the Santa Barbara County Sherriff's Department (pdf)

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10:40 a.m. San Marcos High School is on lockdown due to a 10:10 a.m. report that there was a man with a gun at the top of campus. The students are safe. We will update this information when the lockdown is over.