By SDCN Editor
El Cajon, CA–A report of a suspicious person armed with a weapon led to the temporary lockdown of a school in unincorporated El Cajon on Thursday, authorities said.
The incident occurred, just before 3:30 p.m., at Hillsdale Middle School in the 1300 block of Brabham Street.
The Rancho San Diego Communication Center received a call about a man with what appeared to be a gun in front of the school. Deputies from the Rancho San Diego Sheriff’s Station described the man as they drove to the school. Out of an abundance of caution, deputies requested the school to be placed on lockdown.
Once they arrived at Hillsdale Middle School, deputies found a man fitting the description outside of campus and detained him for questioning. The man, described as a 46-year-old man from La Mesa, was found in possession of a non-lethal handgun powered by carbon dioxide. After an investigation, it was determined the man had not committed a crime and was released on scene.
The lockdown at the school was lifted after about 15 minutes. No one was hurt.
Deputies continued to work with school staff and Campus Safety Officers from the Cajon Valley Union School District, who have had previous negative encounters with the man. As a result of these incidents, deputies were able to obtain an emergency temporary protective order against the man, so he could not come near the school.
As a precaution, Sheriff’s deputies conducted extra patrols at Hillsdale Middle School on Friday.
