Fears as three elementary schools are placed on lockdown in Arizona after report of student with a gun

• Lockdown in southwestern Arizona lifted after four hours without a weapon found

By Daily Mail Reporter

Published: 07:12 GMT, 6 February 2013 | Updated: 07:16 GMT, 6 February 2013

Three elementary schools were put on lockdown amid fears of a student allegedly seen carrying a gun on one of the campuses in southwestern Arizona on Tuesday.

Zuma police say no gun was found after the evacuations over a false report of a student seen carrying a weapon at Rancho Viegjo Elementary but for many upset parents that information arrived much later than hoped.

Outside Salida Del Sol Elementary School armed men were seen escorting students to a cafeteria while the children kept their hands placed on their head.

Lockdown: Students from Salida Del Sol Elementary School are evacuated to the school's cafeteria by armed police officers after three schools went into lockdown on Tuesday

Sighting: A report of a student seen with a gun initially prompted the lockdowns of three schools in the area that lasted for four hours

Across the street parents from Rancho Viegjo were seen lined up, some visibly shaken and crying while voicing confusion on what was going on.

Yuma police say they responded to that school about 10am and did a 'systematic search' of the campus while school buses shuttled students to another school several miles away.

Police say students at Salida Del Sol Elementary, H.L. Suverkrup Elementary School and WACOG Preschool also were bused to another location before their parents could take them home.

Police did their best to calm parents but many voiced frustration from the little amount of information released.

Prepared: Police lined Rancho Viejo and Salida Del Sol Elementary Schools on Tuesday morning when both schools, along with WACOG Elementary School, were placed on lockdown

Worst fears: Concerned parents of students also waited outside for word from police which only slowly trickled in to them

‘I called the schools, but they wouldn’t release any information,’ Israel Rosales who has children at two of the schools told the Yuma Sun. ‘It’s very frustrating. It’s like we are on the outside looking in and the only thing we can do is worry. I’m wondering what my kids are going through. I know they are scared.’

Some students experienced the same upset reaction to the scare, including a 10-year-old Rancho Viejo student who said she was comforted in the process after told that it was only a drill.

‘Now I feel really safe,’ Naomi told the Sun while back at her mother’s side. ‘I was really happy that the police were there and they kept on telling us that it was pretend because I stopped getting scared for a little while.’

Other parents like Kimberly Grable, though upset, expressed understanding for the blanketed situation.

Calming: Yuma Police Sgt. Clint Norad talks with a group of concerned parents across the street from Salida Del Sol Elementary School during the lockdown which did not fine a weapon

'I know there were some frustrated parents but at the same time ... I’ll stand out here for five hours in the hot sun because I know they’re taking care of the kids and making sure that they’re safe.' Ms Grable, a parent of a sixth grader at Rancho Viejo told the Sun.

A mother on the school's Facebook page similarly thanked them for their effort.

'I just want to say thank you to all the staff at Rancho Viejo for not taking todays incident lightly. You guys did a great job contacting the police and keeping our children safe from possible danger. I am thankful that I was able to hold my child again and tell her I love her,' wrote Sara Mariah Podborny Rivera.

Safe return: No injuries were reported nor was a gun found on any of the campuses before the students were returned to their parents waiting outside

The lock downs were lifted just after four hours.

Superintendent of the Crane Elementary School District Robert Klee says students and staff followed procedures and no injuries were reported.

‘As superintendent, I’m very pleased with the response of our students and staff from both schools. They followed procedures and everything went as smoothly as possible and nobody was harmed,’ he said at a press conference following.

He said the school underwent a practice lockdown only last week in case of such an event.