Canoga High: Man dropped gun, tried to blend in, police say
Los Angeles School Police arrested a 19-year-old man who authorities said discarded a handgun and ran from officers onto the Canoga High School campus, prompting an hours-long lock down.
The man was detained about 1 p.m., about the same the time authorities had discontinued the search on the school grounds. Police said that he had changed clothes and tried to blend in with the students.
It was not immediately clear whether the man received help or had access to a change of clothes while on the campus, authorities said.
The suspect, who was not immediately identified, was booked on several charges, including suspicion of possessing a firearm near a school and trespassing.
The incident began when police saw the suspect, with a handgun, walking down a street near the school. The man discarded the weapon in a trashcan and ran onto school grounds.
The school was placed on lock down about 9:25 a.m. as officers from the LAPD and Los Angeles Unified School District police searched in and around the campus for the gunman, LAPD Officer Christopher No said.
Dozens of officers responded to the scene. School police searched the campus at 6850 Topanga Canyon Blvd. while the LAPD set up a blocks-wide perimeter to scour the neighborhood. Streets for several blocks around the campus were also closed during the search.
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