Cañon City Police explain the lockdown status at Cañon City High School Wednesday

CAÑON CITY, Colo. (KKTV) - Cañon City High School was on lockdown status Wednesday because of a reported threat.

It appears Cañon City was just one of many schools where an alleged threat was reported this week. The Cañon City Police Department shared a news release explaining why the school went into “lockdown” status:

“On February 22, 2023, at approximately 8:45 a.m., officers with the Canon City Police Department were dispatched to the Canon City High School, located at 1313 College Ave., on a report of a man that claimed to be in possession of a rifle and pipe bombs and was going into the school. The caller did not identify themselves and immediately hung up.

School Resource Officers were on scene at the high school when the call was received and were supplemented by patrol officers within one minute of the call being aired. The school was placed on lockdown status immediately based on the information that was dispatched. Those officers, along with personnel from the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado State Patrol, Canon City Fire Department, AMR and the Office of Emergency Management, worked together to locate the threat and protect the students, staff, faculty and the public at large.

While on-scene and after several minutes of being on-scene, officers began to learn of similar threats that occurred in other jurisdictions within Colorado. It was quickly discovered, based on those reports and the lack of evidence presented to officers on scene, that this incident may have been a false report. In an abundance of caution, the school was searched by law enforcement officers for any threats that may have existed. Finding none, the lockdown was lifted and students were released.

While we understand where concerns exist for parents and families of students, the response by your police department was necessary given the state of the world in which we live. Our officers are ready, willing, and able to put themselves directly in danger to protect our kids and we are proud of the heroism that was displayed today in the initial moments of this call.

The practice of putting the school in lockdown status was made in accordance with standard operating procedures and policies that are based on best practices. In the rush of letting the public know about the situation, an initial social media post was put out on Facebook that informed the public that the school was placed in lockdown due to a bomb threat. This language was confusing and not fully accurate. This call was classified as an active threat to students, staff and faculty, and based on the information provided, the act of locking down was the best option, given the circumstances.

We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.”