Update | 2:00 p.m.
A 17-year-old high school student was arrested for possession of a firearm as Thunder Mountain High School and Riverbend Elementary School were in lockdown this morning.
Lt. David Campbell says a Juneau Police Department officer working at Thunder Mountain received a report from a student just after 10 a.m.
“A 17-year-old female told the officer that she saw a 17-year old male with a handgun. The 17-year-old male suspect was last seen leaving the school on foot,” Campbell says.
Other schools in the Mendenhall Valley and downtown’s Juneau-Douglas High School were in ‘stay put’ mode.
Juneau School District spokeswoman Kristin Bartlett explains the difference between lockdown and ‘stay put.’
“In a lockdown, all of the blinds are closed, and the lights go off, and students get into more of a hidden mode. And in a ‘stay put,’ that just means that we aren’t having outdoor recess and kids aren’t going between classes,” Bartlett says.
Lt. Campbell says the suspect was found near the Thunder Mountain around 10:30 a.m.
“[Juneau police] officers contacted the 17-year-old male suspect near the Dimond Field House. He was taken into custody and the .22-caliber pistol was seized as evidence,” Campbell says.
The teenager was arrested for fourth degree misconduct involving a weapon, a Class A misdemeanor. He was transported to the Johnson Youth Center.
The suspect’s name could not be released because of confidentiality laws.
The lockdowns were lifted around 10:40 a.m. and students at Thunder Mountain High School were allowed to come and go as usual.
No one was injured during the incident.
Bartlett says every school holds drills for a potential lockdown. The one at Thunder Mountain High School went according to plan.
“There have been real lockdowns here in the past. This is the first time that we’ve had an incident of this nature,” Bartlett says.
In the school’s administration offices, Juneau Police Department investigators interviewed at least two students and a parent as potential witnesses to the incident.
Bartlett says the district issued a phone message to all parents notifying them of the lockdown after it was lifted.
Rosemarie Alexander and Heather Bryant contributed to this report.
Our original reporting continues below:
Update | 12:26 p.m.
Thunder Mountain High School and Riverbend Elementary were placed on lockdown this morning after Juneau police detained a person with a gun near both schools.
Lt. David Campbell says a Juneau Police Department officer working at Thunder Mountain received a report from a student just after 10 a.m.
“A 17-year-old female told the officer that she saw a 17-year old male with a handgun. The 17-year-old male suspect was last seen leaving the school on foot,” Campbell says.
Other schools in the city went into stay put mode so no students were outside of school buildings.
The suspect was found roughly half an hour later.
“[Juneau police] officers contacted the 17-year-old suspect near the Dimond Field House. He was taken into custody and the .22-caliber pistol was seized as evidence,” Campbell says.
The teenager was arrested for possession of a firearm, a Class A misdemeanor. He was transported to the Johnson Youth Center.
Campbell could not release the suspect’s name because of confidentiality laws.
In a release, the Juneau School District says the lockdowns were lifted around 10:40 a.m.
Update | 12:05 p.m.
The Juneau Police Department says an officer at TMHS was contacted by a student who said they had seen a student with a handgun. JPD officers made contact with a 17-year-old male student near the Dimond Field House. The suspect was arrested and a .22-caliber pistol was seized as evidence.
Update | 11:51 a.m.
The Juneau School district just sent out this press release.
The release states that after the school received a report of student with a weapon, both Thunder Mountain High School and nearby Riverbend Elementary School went into lockdown as a precaution. Other schools in the area were put into stay put mode, meaning no students were allowed outside. The lockdown was lifted at 10:40 a.m.
Original Post | 11:15 a.m.
Juneau Police Department received a secondhand report at 10:05 a.m. of a student with a weapon in the area of Thunder Mountain High School.
JPD spokesperson Erann Kalwara says the subject reported to have a weapon was contacted and detained at 10:31 a.m.
“Everything is safe at this point,” Kalwara says.
JPD is currently at the high school.
This is a breaking story. Check back here for updates.
