REDMOND, OR -- Ridgeview High school went into lockdown Thursday morning after a student reportedly texted threats to the school. Redmond Schools Superintendent Mike McIntosh says the lockdown started at 8 a.m. and lasted about 12 minutes. "Two students report text messages to Ridgeview administration. We immediately took them seriously, as we do all threats. We called law enforcement and proceeded to go into what we call lockdown protocol. At that time, we didn’t know the location of the student who had sent the texts, so we treated it as if he were on campus."
Superintendent McIntosh tells KBND the 15-year-old student accused of sending the text was located off campus and taken into custody. "The kids were as safe as ever possible, we took all kinds of precautions to make sure that was the case. Lockdown is not to be considered a feared thing, or a fearful thing, it’s just a protocol that we’ve implemented." He adds, "The protocols that we’ve been putting in place with respect to student safety and critical incidents were tested in a real way and I’m pleased with how they functioned. A great partnership with law enforcement, both Redmond city and Deschutes County; school officials did a great job making decisions based on the input they were gathering from multiple sources in very short order; all in an effort to maintain student safety."
McIntosh acknowledges frustration by parents who weren’t notified by the district until the incident was over. "I can say with a clear conscience that our intent is never to deny parents access to their child. But, in these events, if they receive a text from their student saying ‘we’re in lockdown, I’m scared.’ Do their best from their location to text them back reassuring messages, encouraging them to listen to the adult in the room, be safe, make good choices and don’t overreact." He says if concerned parents suddenly showed up at the campus it could've caused an even bigger logistical issue.
