SARATOGA — West Valley College was put on lockdown for about two hours on Monday after a gun sighting that turned out to involve a replica firearm, according to community college officials.
The lockdown was ordered around 11:30 a.m. after the school got a report of a White male carrying a long rifle, and associated with a red Cadillac vehicle parked in Lot 1. The sighting was reported by the college on its website and social media.
West Valley-Mission Community College District Chancellor Brad Davis told this news organization that the lockdown was ordered “out of an abundance of caution” and emphasized “there is no active shooter,” that no shots were fired, and no injuries were reported.
College district police, assisted by the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, searched for the person in question. In the meantime, campus buildings were locked down, and the college advised people on campus to leave if they could do so safely, and to abandon their cars and belongings.
Nearby Redwood Middle School was briefly placed under shelter-in-place orders beginning at 10:48 a.m., but the orders were lifted at 11:12 a.m., according to the school’s website.
At 1:36 p.m., the college announced that the lockdown had been lifted and that classes were cancelled for the rest of the day. That was followed up two minutes later with a Twitter post from the college stating that two people were detained in connection with the gun sighting and that it was a “Replica firearm ONLY.”
Additional details were not immediately released Monday afternoon.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
WVM ALERT! Mission and West Valley College
West Valley College. ALL CLEAR. The lockdown is over.
Campus is safe.
Two suspects detained. Replica firearm ONLY.— West Valley College (@WestValleyCC) March 13, 2023
