After several hours, it appeared the report was unfounded and students were allowed to go home.
There were several other school lockdowns based on unfounded threats around California on Monday, including in Fullerton and Palo Alto. No word if they were linked.
There were no injuries and nobody in custody but Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were on the scene at the high school investigating the report for much of the afternoon.
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The La Cañada Unified School District notified parents about the report:
"We received a notification from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department indicating that they had a report of someone coming to the La Cañada High School campus with a weapon," said the note from Superintendent Wendy Sinnette. "The Sheriff's deputies immediately responded and are currently on campus. As a precaution, the LCHS administration placed the school on lockdown as soon as the report was received. All students and staff are safe. At this time there is no imminent threat."
St. Francis High School, located in the area, was also placed on lockdown. The school sent out a note to parents saying that around 1:40 p.m. the Sheriff's Department asked them to initiate a lockdown "in response to what is believed to be an unsubstantiated threat to La Cañada High School."
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Footage from A7 HD showed multiple law enforcement cruisers parked around the school and students and faculty members being escorted on campus with their hands in the air. Sheriff's deputies were searching the campus with weapons drawn.
Shortly before 3:30 p.m. the sheriff's department posted on X that deputies had cleared the school of any threat and were working with school authorities to allow students to leave.