OVIEDO, Fla. – A student holding a musical instrument as if it were a gun prompted an alert that resulted in a Code Red at an Oviedo school, officials said.
Lawton Chiles Middle School was placed on a brief lockdown Tuesday morning after an automated weapons detection system detected the student holding a clarinet like a rifle, according to Seminole County Public Schools.
In a message to families, school Principal Dr. Melissa Laudani said, “We have multiple layers of school safety, including an automated system that detects potential threats. A student was walking in the hallway, holding a musical instrument as if it were a weapon, which triggered the Code Red to activate.”
[MORE OVIEDO NEWS: Take look at Crazy Hot Buys in Oviedo Mall]
The lockdown was later lifted and all students and staff are safe.
“While there was no threat to campus, I’d like to ask you to speak with your student about the dangers of pretending to have a weapon on a school campus,” Laudani said.
Oviedo police posted a message on Facebook about the incident.
“THE CODE RED AT LAWTON CHILES MIDDLE SCHOOL HAS BEEN CLEARED AND EVERYONE IS SAFE. The code red was a precaution and the children were never in any danger,” police said.
Read the full message from the school below.
Dear Chiles Middle School Families, Students, and Staff,
I wanted to send a follow-up and share with you what prompted the brief Code Red on our campus. As you know, we have multiple layers of school safety, including an automated system that detects potential threats. A student was walking in the hallway, holding a musical instrument as if it were a weapon, which triggered the Code Red to activate. While there was no threat to campus, I’d like to ask you to speak with your student about the dangers of pretending to have a weapon on a school campus.
We are thankful for the quick response by our law enforcement partners, and our students and staff following our safety protocols.
As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.
Dr. Laudani