2 Arrested After Threat of Violence Locks Down Lafayette High School Campus for Most of the Day
After a chaotic school day filled with anxiety for parents, students, and faculty members, authorities are now sharing details on what led to Monday's lockdown at Lafayette High.
Concerned parents could be seen lining Congress street across from the school, praying for positive news as the school was surrounded by dozens of law enforcement vehicles.
You can see our real-time reporting on the incident here as Sr. Cpl. Matt Benoit with the Lafayette Police Department is offering up newly confirmed details surrounding today's lockdown.
According to Benoit, Lafayette High SROs and school officials were notified of a threat of violence around 9:00 a.m. on Monday, October 3. The threat was directed toward named student and staff members and circulated online after being shared on social media.
At that point, the school was "immediately placed on lockdown."
As officers arrived on campus a 911 call came through "stating there was a student on campus with a gun near one of the buildings."
Benoit says officers quickly searched all buildings on campus and determined that no student was found to be in possession of a firearm. Investigators were able to identify and detain a Lafayette High School student who was interviewed in regard to the anonymous 911 call indicating that a student was in possession of a firearm on campus.
That juvenile student was ultimately arrested and booked into the Juvenile Detention Center for Terrorizing.
Sr. Cpl. Benoit also shared details on a second arrest that was made.
Another juvenile who was not involved in this incident was arrested for Trespassing, due to walking on campus during the lockdown.
The lockdown was lifted and Lafayette High School eventually dismissed all students after the campus was safely searched and secured. In total, the lockdown lasted nearly five hours, which is most of the school day. Students were allowed to leave campus by normal means of transportation.
LPSS released the following statement in the wake of today's lockdown at Lafayette High School.
Today, Lafayette High School’s administration received a report of a threat circulating on social media directed toward individual students and staff members on the Lafayette High School campus. The campus was placed on lockdown status as law enforcement began an investigation.
During the course of the investigation, 911 operators received a call stating that there was a weapon on campus. The caller named a building where a weapon would be located. The building was evacuated and thoroughly searched, along with the additional campus facilities. No weapons were found. A Lafayette High School student has been arrested and charged with terrorizing in connection to the 911 call.
The investigation into the social media post is ongoing. It is unclear at this time if the social media post and the 911 call are related. Anyone with information regarding the social media post is encouraged to call the Lafayette Police Department at 337-291-8600 or Lafayette Crime Stoppers at 337-232-TIPS.
Lafayette High School will resume normal operations tomorrow. As a precautionary measure, additional law enforcement will be present.
Benoit says the investigation regarding the social media post that prompted this incident is currently ongoing as police have yet to determine whether or not the 911 call was related to the threats that circulated online.
Anyone with information regarding this incident please contact the Lafayette Police Department or Lafayette Crime Stoppers at 232-TIPS.