Lockdowns lifted at 2 Simi Valley schools after report of person with rifle

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (KABC) -- Lockdowns on two high schools in Simi Valley were lifted Wednesday afternoon, hours after police received a report of a person with rifle on a school campus.

Simi Valley police said they received a report of a person walking onto the campus of Royal High School with what appeared to be a long gun at about 8:20 a.m.

Royal High School and Saint Rosa of Lima Catholic School were locked down and students were ordered to shelter in place as police investigated.

Officers in tactical gear were seen searching the campus with the assistance of K-9 units.

Police Chief Joseph May said it was determined the rifle was in fact a ceremonial drill rifle used by a drill team member and not an actual firearm.

Parent Scott Halpern described the incident as "a wake-up call."

"It could be a hoax, it could be nothing," he said. "For these poor kids to go through this on a school day, it's traumatizing."

Authorities said some Royal High School special needs students were relocated to Santa Susana High School as a precaution during the situation.

"Basically, what we have in this situation, is somebody who saw something. It didn't look right to them," the police chief said. "They called. We're just thankful that it turned out to be really a non-incident that we spent the resources on."

Road closures in the area caused by the lockdown were lifted.