Hazard or hoax?

Three local schools were locked down Tuesday (Sept. 6) after police received a report of an armed person walking toward Chico High School.

According to a Chico Police Department press release, a caller reported seeing an “exchange student” leave a residence on the 300 block of West Sacramento Avenue and head toward the school carrying a handgun at about 10 a.m.

Chico High was locked down shortly thereafter, as were nearby Chico Junior High and Citrus Elementary schools, and the campuses stayed closed for about 90 minutes as the high school was searched. University Police were notified and an alert was sent to the Chico State community, but that campus remained open. No one matching the description was found.

Chico PD is investigating the origin of the call, and urges anyone with information to contact the department at 897-4900.