LOS ANGELES, CA – Santa Monica High School (Samohi) was placed on lockdown Tuesday afternoon after unconfirmed reports of an active shooter on or near campus, which were later determined by police to be a false alarm.
At approximately 2:30 p.m., Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District spokesperson Gail Pinsker confirmed in an email that the school had gone into lockdown after a call was made to the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) about a possible active shooter.
SMPD responded with a significant police presence and initiated precautionary shelter-in-place protocols for students and staff.
“All students and staff are safe and secure,” Pinsker stated.
Nine minutes later, SMPD announced on social media that the alarm was false.
“SMPD officers responded to a report of suspicious activity on the high school campus. As a precaution, students were sheltering in place. It was determined to be a false alarm. Officers are conducting a thorough search to ensure everyone’s safety,” the department posted.
The lockdown was lifted after police issued an all-clear, and Pinsker later thanked law enforcement for their swift response.
“Samohi students were very orderly, cooperative, and followed directions well from staff and administration during the lockdown,” Pinsker said. “We appreciate the support of our local law enforcement agency in protecting our staff and students and their quick and thorough investigation of the incident … we are relieved with this outcome as the safety and health of our students and staff are our top priorities.”
The false alarm follows a tragic shooting incident last month at Santa Monica College’s Center for Media & Design, where SMC Custodial Operations Manager Felicia Hudson was fatally injured.
Authorities have not disclosed the origin of Tuesday’s false alarm, and no additional details were available at the time of reporting.
