GRESHAM, Ore. — Gresham High School went on "secure" status Wednesday following unsubstantiated reports of guns on campus, according to a message sent by the school district to families.
Secure means that perimeter doors are locked and no one is allowed in or out of the building, the district explained, similar to a lockout. Classes were continuing inside the building, but the district asked that the community not try to access the school.
Gresham police were on-site to investigate the reports, which the district said are believed to be "related to the rumors that have been circulating the community all week." Additional campus monitors and administrators were also on-site.
The Gresham-Barlow School District community has been in an uproar since late September, after a 17-year-old student allegedly threatened someone outside the high school with a gun before bringing the weapon on campus.
After learning of the off-campus incident, according to the district, administrators removed the student from class and took him to the office before calling police. The student was found to have a 9mm handgun and a full magazine.
Though the district praised how administrators handled the incident, many students, parents and teachers have been vocally critical of the response — accusing the district of risking students' safety by not going into lockdown and waiting to contact police.
Last week, Gresham High School students staged a walkout to protest the administration's handling of both this and prior safety complaints.
READ MORE: Gresham High staff say school admin isn't doing enough to address increasing violence on campus
In an update to the community Wednesday, the district said that "in response to rumors circulating on social media" it had verified that the student involved in the September incident had not returned to campus. It added that there were no known threats made by this student or any others.
Detective Adam Wright with the Gresham Police Department chalked Wednesday's activity up to the social media rumor mill.
"This cycle of recirculated online threats and rumors is a phenomenon that has become increasingly common in the social media age," Wright said. "Schools where a violent or threatening event occurs are commonly inundated with numerous additional/copycat online threats. Rumors and discussion of those threats circulate through the school community. In many cases the same rumor will go through the community more than once as details are slightly changed, embellished, or lost with each sharing or retelling.
"We would encourage students, parents, and staff members to get information directly from the Gresham-Barlow School District. The Police Department will also communicate with the community about threats that are found to be credible or when an active incident that threatens the safety of the community is taking place."
