Jordan High School in Durham briefly tightened its security on Tuesday after staff received a report that a student might have a weapon on campus, prompting a move to “secure status” while police and school officials checked things out.
Durham Public Schools and local police responded to the call, locking exterior doors and keeping students inside as a precaution. Secure status was lifted just after 12:30 p.m., and officials said the student was no longer believed to be on campus by about 12:15 p.m., according to ABC11. An investigation into the report is underway, WRAL reported.
What “secure status” means
Secure status is a precautionary measure that looks a lot like a lockdown: exterior doors are locked, students stay inside classrooms, and officers and staff focus on securing the perimeter and surrounding area. As explained by ABC11, the idea is to keep instruction going while cutting down on movement in and out of the building.
Officials’ account and next steps
In a statement to WRAL, Durham Public Schools said staff were alerted to a student with a possible weapon and cooperated with responding officers throughout the response. Authorities have not released further information about the suspected item or whether any disciplinary or criminal charges could follow as the investigation continues.
Broader context and legal penalties
The incident comes just weeks after Millbrook Magnet High School in Raleigh went into a Code Red lockdown on Feb. 25, when officers arrested an 18-year-old who police say had a loaded gun on campus, according to a Raleigh Police release. Under North Carolina law, a student determined to have brought a firearm to school faces a 365-calendar-day suspension, although superintendents may make exceptions in limited circumstances, per G.S. 115C-390.10…