(UPDATE - click here for the latest information)
CMR High School in Great Falls was placed in an hours-long lockdown on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, in response to a report of someone on campus with a gun.
According to the Great Falls Police Department, someone reported to the school resource officer just before 8 a.m. that they saw someone with a gun around the bus loop.
Several law enforcement agencies responded to the school, searching inside and out.
At 10:30 a.m., the GFPD said that officers are continuing to search the school, talking to students to separate fact from rumor, and reviewing surveillance video.
At 11:39 a.m., Great Falls Public Schools posted: "CMR will be evacuating. Drivers/siblings only will be released to drive home. All walkers and bus riders will evacuate via bus to the Four Seasons in an orderly process. Parents/guardians will pick children up at the Four Seasons Arena. Parents must be listed on PowerSchool and bring an ID. Counselors are available to work with parents and students as needed."
All classes and activities at CMR have been canceled for the rest of the day.
At this point, no gun has been found, there were no gunshots, and there has been no verification of any intruder.
One challenge officers faced was people sharing videos on social media of plainclothes officers walking around with their guns.
Captain Doug Otto of the GFPD said, "I'm asking students don't post that. All that does is precipitate panic. Parents, I understand where you're panicked when you see something like that."
Several nearby schools - Sacajawea, Riverview, Valley View, North, and Skyline - were under a "shelter in place" order during the lockdown as a precaution. The GFPD said at 11:43 a.m. that shelter in place has been lifted for those schools, and classes at those schools have resumed their normal schedules.
We will update you as we get more information.
