Fairview High School in Boulder and nearby Southern Hills Middle School were placed on lockdown on September 11 after authorities received a report of a man with a gun. The Boulder Police Department (BPD) spoke with the individual who was reported to have a gun. He was wearing a weighted vest and holding his cell phone after going for a run. The BPD said they searched the schools out of an abundance of caution and found no threat.
BPD issued a first statement at 11:06 a.m. on X regarding the lockdown at the schools and the ongoing investigation. The department closed the road in front of the school on Greenbriar between Broadway and Gillespie. BPD asked the public to stay away from the area during the investigation.
At 11:27 a.m., BPD said a shelter in place was ordered for a half-mile radius around the school and media helicopters were asked to stay away from the two-mile radius of the school so they did not obstruct the department's drone operations.
At 11:59 a.m., the police department posted on X that they believed there was no active threat, but officers were searching the school out of an abundance of caution. At 12:51 p.m., the shelter in place order was lifted. At 1:16 p.m., the search of the schools was completed and parents were allowed to pick up their children.
The BPD said the report of the man with a gun probably happened because there was a school shooting in Evergreen on Tuesday. “We always encourage anyone who thinks they see something suspicious to call us,” BPD wrote on X. “We understand the community fear today and are thankful this did not turn out to be anyone with any ill intent.”
