Bayside High School went into a brief lockdown Thursday after a photo circulated on social media of a person with what appeared to be a gun on the school’s campus.
A report from the Citizen app indicated that at around 12:40 p.m. on Nov. 21, a person with a gun was reported at the school, located at 32-24 Corporal Kennedy St. A photo from Snapchat indicating a person holding what appeared to be a gun with the geo-location set at Bayside High School was shown to a teacher by a student.
The NYPD confirmed on Twitter that the report of a possible active shooter was unfounded and the lockdown has been lifted. Capt. John Hall of the 111th Precinct said the lockdown was lifted shortly after 1 p.m. and that several parents arrived to pick up students from the school early. However, a heavier police presence is expected to stay at the school for the rest of the day.
Hall said that the photo that circulated on social media showed a fake gun with a rubberized tip that was used in a physics class.
“Safety always comes first, and Bayside High School was placed on a brief lockdown while the NYPD investigated a potential threat that was determined to be unfounded. All students and staff are safe, and there was no gun in the building,” said Miranda Barbot, a spokesperson for the Department of Education.
Reports of a person with a firearm (Possible Active Shooter) at Bayside High School in the @NYPD111Pct have been investigated and deemed to be inaccurate.
There is NO FIREARM INVOLVED & NO ACTIVE SHOOTER situation.
Expect to see increased police presence on scene. pic.twitter.com/7Y6qIN1yPC
— NYPDCounterterrorism (@NYPDCT) November 21, 2019
Additional reporting by Jenna Bagcal.
