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Armed police in West Auckland: Lockdown lifts at schools

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Tue, 3 Nov 2020, 2:57pm
Parents wait to pick up their children at St Leonards Rd School. Photo / Dean Purcell
Parents wait to pick up their children at St Leonards Rd School. Photo / Dean Purcell

Armed police in West Auckland: Lockdown lifts at schools

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Tue, 3 Nov 2020, 2:57pm

Children have been let out of four schools four schools which were in lockdown as armed police search for a person in West Auckland.

Police are responding to an emergency incident at Kelston and say officers are "carrying firearms as a precaution".

Kelston Boys High School, Kelston Girls College, Kelston Intermediate School and St Leonards Rd School all went into lockdown shortly after 2pm, police said.

"We've got a report of concerns for a person's wellbeing, and we are in the area at the moment making inquiries to try and locate this person," a police spokesman said.

Due to schools being in the nearby area, police advised them to go into lockdown, the spokesman said.

A short video clip posted on Facebook appears to show an armed police officer walking on Archibald Rd.

St Leonards Rd School confirmed earlier it was still in lockdown. A post on the school's website read: "Please do not attempt to enter the school grounds."

It said all students were safe and accounted for but it was remaining in lockdown until further notice.

"St Leonards Road School has gone into lockdown as advised by police. We will continue to provide updates on our website as often as possible. Please do not come to the school or phone the school as you will not be attended to and this may cause disruption to the management of this incident and could potentially place yourselves and/or our staff and student's safety at risk. We will update this website when lockdown has been completed. Thank you."

Shortly before 3.30pm a police spokesman said students would soon be allowed to leave the schools.

"Given the end of the schooling day, Police will shortly begin a graduated release of students which is being done in cooperation with the schools," he said.

"This will help with any traffic congestion that may build in the area."

Police enquiries continued into the incident.

Kelston Boys High School confirmed it was in lockdown but said it was unable to say anything more.

The school's evacuation announcement could be heard in the background of the call.

Kelston Intermediate School said on its Facebook page: "We are taking precautions and following the Police guidelines."

Kelston Girls College principal Adeline Blair told Stuff the school had been placed into lockdown about 2.30pm as a "precaution".

The incident comes a day after Massey's Lincoln Heights Schools went into lockdown after a firearms incident.

The incident comes as police continue to investigate two separate firearms incidents in Massey.

Two people were arrested yesterday after a firearm was reportedly discharged at Keegan Drive in Massey.

About 2am another incident occurred outside a property on the same street. Police say initial indications show about eight shots were fired at parked vehicles.

No people were found at the property and there were no reports of injuries.

"This will ... no doubt be concerning to the families living nearby and the wider community," Detective Senior Sergeant Megan Goldi said yesterday.

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