Nerf Gun Prompts Lockdown Of Las Positas College In Livermore
LIVERMORE (CBS SF) -- A Las Positas College faculty member Wednesday morning reported what they thought was a student with a rifle in a backpack, prompting a campus lockdown that ended more than hour later when investigators determined it was a harmless Nerf gun toy, Livermore police said.
At about 10:45 a.m., the faculty member saw what they believed to be the rifle partially concealed in a backpack and notified the campus safety office, which in turn notified Livermore police and ordered all staff and students to shelter in place at the college at 3000 Campus Hill Drive.
The faculty member called it in and Livermore Police and the administration weren't taking any chances.
"Perhaps on another day the employee would have just said that's just a toy," said Las Positas Vice Chancellor Doug Horned. "But there is a heightened sense of awareness that any day, any time and where we could be in danger."
HALF STAFF SIGN-OF-THE-TIMES IS A SOMBER REMINDER THAT EVEN THE SLIGHTEST HINT OF HARM MUST BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
Officers responded and eventually located the student in a classroom and found the Nerf gun in his possession. The student said he brought it as a prop for an event unrelated to the school and had no intention of causing a disruption, police said.
"In this day and age everybody has to kind of think about what they're doing," said Livermore Police Sgt. John Hurd. "There clearly was no intent to cause all this to happen. Somebody made a poor decision."
The student, a 20-year-old, will not face any criminal charges, police said.
Livermore police praised Las Positas College students, staff and faculty for remaining calm during the incident and reminded community members to report all suspicious activity that they might observe.
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