Photo by Becky Clark
Photo by Becky Clark
A man, possibly with a gun, was reported near the creek across from Idyllwild School at 2:45 p.m. according to a recorded message sent out to Idyllwild School parents and guardians. The school was placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
At around 3:18 p.m., the lockdown was lifted after investigators found a toy BB gun along the 26000 block of Highway 243, close to Saunders Meadow Road. No arrests were made and no one was questioned in connection.
At 2 p.m., there was a report called in claiming a man with a gun was walking on Highway 243, near the school, according to Deputy Mike Vasquez, public information officer for the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. He said that as a precautionary measure, the school was placed on lockdown.
At 2:59 p.m., Principal Matt Kraemer opened the doors to let parents into the school. Kraemer was putting together an organized dismissal.
A recorded message to parents at 3:18 pm. announced that the lockdown had been lifted and students were allowed to go home.
There was initially a helicopter overhead searching for the alleged man with a gun, but a deputy and CHP officer continued to search the area on foot and the helicopter was called off shortly after.
Updates will be posted as they become available.
STOP, THINK, ACT (or don’t act):
Ask yourself these questions:
1) Has a crime been committed?
2) Was there a victim?
3) Were someone’s rights violated?
4) Are we (society) victims of these hyper paranoid newsflash?
80,000 people from various racial groups, various age groups, various interests and various home towns, all with loaded guns go to a convention to see 800 gun companies, and the event was safe and un-eventful.
A small mountain village with less than 4,000 paranoid hippie residents, one person thinks they may have seen a gun… the whole school goes on lock down and it makes the news.
Meanwhile every few weeks the Town Crier reports that local residents drive drunk causing death (which is killing) and serious injury, but that’s OK. We’re all grown up. Surely you can trust a car driver to be responsible with a margarita.
Imagine this paranoid silly scenario.
An Idyllwild local stumble out of a cabin with car keys and a budweiser. Do the nosey neighbors yell “Oh my Gaaaaawd! He’s gotta a BEEEEEEEER!” Put the highway on lock down?
Don’t be a paranoid Dick York, Dick Sergeant, or Dick Clark.