Law enforcement responded to Gainesville High School (GHS) on Thursday afternoon after reports of a possible weapon on campus. The threat, however, turned out to be unfounded, according to the school district. 

“The Gainesville Police Department has determined that a report of a possible weapon on campus at Gainesville High School was unfounded,” Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) said in a Facebook post. “We appreciate the quick response of GPD to this situation, and commend students and staff for the way they handled the situation.” 

In an email reply to Mainstreet, Art Forgey, spokesperson for the Gainesville Police Department (GPD), said the person believed to have the weapon was checked. He added that the classroom where this individual was removed was also checked and inspected by a “gun K-9.” 

“No weapon was located,” he wrote. 

Forgey said the report of a possible weapon on the GHS campus was called “directly into dispatch” by a GPD school resource officer at 2:22 p.m. 

With law enforcement activity on the campus, GHS was put on “secure” status, according to an ACPS Facebook post. All students and staff were safe, the post said; however, parents were unable to pick up their children, and students were not allowed to leave the school. 

GHS ended up carrying out a controlled release, with half of the students being let go, and the rest following.  

According to the most recent ACPS Facebook post, all students have been released from the school.  

Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.