Police K-9 units sweep Redondo Union HS campus after 2 consecutive lockdowns
REDONDO BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Police K-9 teams swept through the campus of Redondo Union High School on Wednesday, after the school experienced two consecutive days of lockdowns because of students bringing guns.
The school itself was closed Wednesday so that authorities could conduct the security sweep and review their existing safety plans.
"We will have K-9 dogs on campus, checking our classrooms, our restrooms, lockers, etc just to ensure there's nothing on campus that could pose a danger or threat to our students or staff," Redondo Beach Unified School District Superintendent Nicole Wesley explained to the school community during an online meeting on safety measures.
The school had been locked down Monday and then again on Tuesday as two male students, each 15 years old and in 10th grade, were discovered to be in possession of firearms on campus.
Officials are looking into whether the two incidents are related.
In both cases the students were located and arrested. The weapons were not fired and no injuries were reported. No threats were made.
Both students were detained on suspicion of juvenile possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm on school grounds, possession of a high-capacity magazine, carrying a loaded firearm in public, and possession of an unregistered loaded firearm.
It was unclear how either teen obtained a weapon.
The security sweep was conducted Wednesday to see if there are any other weapons or possibly explosives on campus.
During an online meeting for the school community Wednesday morning, a big question was about the students' intent.
"What we do know is that there was no evidence of a planned school shooting or specific hit list or act of violence threatening a specific individual," said Lt. Cory King with the city's police department.
Officials added that neither student has a documented history as a gang member.
Starting with Wednesday's K-9 sweep, the district is putting new safety measures in place through Dec. 15, when winter break starts.
When in-person classes resume Thursday, there will be only three entry and exit points, all of which will be overseen by police and administrators. Increased police patrols will be maintained at RUHS and all other Redondo campuses.
Those entry points will all have metal detectors, and backpacks and purses will be checked.
"The two back-to-back incidents are something we would never have imagined," district officials wrote in a letter to parents Tuesday. "We are going to need to work together to solve the issue of access to guns."
City News Service contributed to this report.
