ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. -- The principal of St. Louis Park Senior High School is confirming an incident that triggered emergency security procedures, after a man walked into the school with a replica gun.
It happened Wednesday morning about 9:15. In an email to parents and caregivers, Principal Robert Metz described what happened.
Metz wrote "An adult male entered the school through an unofficial entrance. (The man) asked a teacher for directions to the student office. As he began walking towards the student office, several students believed they saw the adult male carrying a gun. School security procedures were followed and the adult male was arrested immediately and without incident by the school liaison officer and removed from the Senior High School. The adult male was found to be carrying a replica gun."
Staff and students were praised for their quick and decisive reaction to the incident.
"Our procedures were in place, they were well followed," said St. Louis Park District's Sara Thompson. "We learn something every time and in this case we will look back at it and debrief, say what worked what didn't work and how we can improve. But we did a really good job for our staff and our students today."
District officials say the door the man used to gain access to the high school is locked from the outside, and that visitors have to be buzzed in. That suggests that a student either let the man in, or that he slipped in behind someone.
(Copyright 2009 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)
