Tuesday report of a gun leads to 'secure in place' at Chinook High School

Chinook High School went into “secure in place” status Tuesday after administration heard a report of a student who said they had a gun.

The status was announced in a Facebook post Tuesday, which later was updated to say the student had turned themself in to police after school and the school had returned to normal status.

Chinook Public Schools Superintendent Fred Hofman said Wednesday that no gun was ever found and no one ever saw anyone with a gun.

He said the school went into a “secure in place” status Tuesday after a student told fellow students the student had a gun and, according to two of the fellow students, threatened to commit self harm.

After a fellow student advised that law enforcement was at the school, the student disappeared, Hofman said.

“Until the student was located, we went into ‘secure in place’ and took precautions, Hofman said.

He said the student was located at the end of the school day and taken into custody by the Chinook Police Department without incident. At no point did anyone report ever seeing a weapon and no weapon was ever found.

The Facebook post said administration was told over the lunch hour that a student told classmates the student had a pistol in their locker and potentially would hurt themself during a particular class.

A search was immediately conducted of the student’s locker and backpack, with no firearm found, but the student was not found.

Law enforcement was contacted and the Blaine County Sheriff’s Department and the Chinook City Police Department responded, the post said. When law enforcement was at the door, the student was told of their presence and left.

The school went into “secure in place” and, as an extra precaution, afternoon recess was canceled at the elementary school.

The high school was to be released at the normal time with law enforcement and a security presence there at the dismissal.

The post was updated at 3:18 p.m. Tuesday to say the student had turned themself in to the police after school and the school was no longer in a “secure in place” status.