Phoenix police investigating 3 students after lockdown at Central High School
Sep 9, 2022, 1:00 PM | Updated: 6:49 pm
(KTAR News Photo/Kate Ourada)
(KTAR News Photo/Kate Ourada)
PHOENIX – Phoenix police are investigating three male students after a fight broke out and reports of a possible shooting put several high schools on lockdown Friday afternoon.
Central High School and nearby schools in Phoenix were locked down, but police who swarmed the area found no evidence of shots being fired.
Phoenix police first reported the lockdown around 12:40 p.m. in a tweet that said officers were responding to calls about “a fight and possible popping sounds.”
Central High School is on lockdown. Police are responding to a fight and possible popping sounds nearby. Xavier, Brophy and the Coding Academy are also on lockdown as a precaution. Parents we need you to stay away from the area right now. The area is all blocked off. pic.twitter.com/c3peNtDPsF
— Phoenix Police (@PhoenixPolice) September 9, 2022
Three other nearby campuses — Xavier College Preparatory, Brophy College Preparatory and the Phoenix Coding Academy — were also locked down as a precaution, police said.
Around 2:20 p.m., police said all classrooms had been cleared and students were being escorted to meet parents who were waiting at a nearby park.
“At this point police have found no evidence of a gun on campus or evidence that a shot was fired. The investigation continues as students are being released,” the Phoenix Police Department tweeted.
At this point police have found no evidence of a gun on campus or evidence that a shot was fired. The investigation continues as students are being released.
— Phoenix Police (@PhoenixPolice) September 9, 2022
No injuries were reported and nobody was in custody, according to a Phoenix police spokesman at the scene.
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Bower said police received multiple 911 calls about shots fired on campus, with the first coming around 12:15 p.m.
“It’s just the reports that we’re going off of, and because of those reports and it being a high school … we’re going to use as much caution as we possibly can,” he said.
The Phoenix Union High School District said all students were safe. Parents were asked to stay away from Central High and go to Steele Indian School Park at Central and Glenrosa avenues for reunifications.
UPDATE – Central is still on lockdown, but classrooms are being cleared. All students are safe. Please do not come to campus. Reunification will take place at Indian School Park on Central Avenue and Glenrosa Avenue. We will provide an update when we have new information to share https://t.co/Yhyq2zkOwu
— PXU (@PhoenixUnion) September 9, 2022
First responders transferred one person suffering from heat-related stress, the district said.
Central High is located at 4525 N. Central Ave., between Indian School and Camelback roads.
All roads into the school were closed during the investigation, while Valley Metro closed the Campbell/Central light rail station and used buses to shuttle passengers on a detour around the area.
Normal light rail service resumed after the school was cleared.
Anybody with information about the incident was asked to call the Phoenix Police Department at 602-262-6151 or, to remain anonymous, Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS (948-6377) or 480-TESTIGO (837-8446) for Spanish.
