Thurston High School was placed on lockdown Friday following a threat made to the school, according to Springfield Public Schools.
Law enforcement officers were on site “as a precaution,” according to school officials, and authorities asked the public to avoid the area.
Additionally, Thurston Middle School, Thurston Elementary School and Ridgeview Elementary School were in a lockout, said Allison McGowan, a spokesperson for Springfield Public Schools, shortly after 11 a.m.
In a lockdown, students and staff stay in secure rooms with locked doors. A lockout involves securing the building perimeter while allowing classes to continue as normal inside. In both cases, no one is allowed to enter or exit the schools.
“Please do not go to the school,” the district said in a statement. “No one will be allowed in or out of the building as students and staff shelter in place. We will share information as soon as it is available.”
The incident is the latest in a series of similar threats affecting Eugene-Springfield area schools this school year.
Notably, Thurston High School is still marked by a traumatic history: In 1998, it was the site of a mass shooting that claimed two student lives and left many more injured.
Police and district officials were working to assess the current threat. District officials said they would issue updates on the situation as soon as possible.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Thurston High placed on lockdown after threat in Springfield
