Whitewater Unified School District Superintendent Samuel Karns indicated that a lockdown that occurred at Lincoln Elementary School on Friday, January 16 was caused by an alarm malfunction. According to a press release police responded to the alert and a hard lockdown was implemented. The lockdown was lifted when it was found that there was no threat to students or staff.

The release indicated that “We understand that seeing a police presence at a school can be concerning. While this was a false alarm, the response demonstrated that our safety systems and partnerships with local law enforcement are working as intended, as we prioritize the well-being of our students and staff.” It continued, “We understand that seeing a police presence at a school can be concerning. While this was a false alarm, the response demonstrated that our safety systems and partnerships with local law enforcement are working as intended, as we prioritize the well-being of our students and staff.”

School counselors were available to support any students who needed time to talk though the experience.