West Auckland school lockdowns: Gun threat to Rutherford College sparks armed police response

At least four Te Atatu schools, including two primary schools, have been ordered into lockdown as armed police swoop on the area near Rutherford College.

The college was placed in lockdown after receiving “an anonymous phone call of a highly threatening nature that informed us that an armed individual would be on school grounds imminently” at 11.22am.

Police say the response was sparked after the school received a “verbal threat”.

“As a precaution, the school and a neighbouring childcare facility have been advised to lockdown while further enquiries are made. Police are in the area and will continue to provide reassurance to staff at both sites.”

One Rutherford College student inside the locked-down school told the Herald: “This is a very scary experience for me and my classmates, this is our first time. The only thing that we have been told is that we have to be in lockdown and stay quiet.

“The teachers are super strict of students to stay under the desk. They are doing a really good job of keeping everything under control.”

A second Rutherford College student said they heard the lockdown bell as the morning tea break was ending.

”We were told to go under our desks. People were rushing into classes, it was really scary.

”People were messaging their parents. We had very little information about what was going on.”

Armed police and patrol vehicles are stationed outside the West Auckland college. Parents are not being allowed inside and have been told to wait outside.

Rutherford College said that at 11.22am the school received “an anonymous phone call of a highly threatening nature that informed us that an armed individual would be on school grounds imminently”.

“Rutherford placed the school into immediate lockdown while simultaneously informing New Zealand Police of the threat. Their subsequent response and ongoing support has been reassuring in securing the school grounds.

“Our number one priority is to keep our students and staff safe and as such we will be remaining in lockdown until police advise us otherwise. Further information will be forthcoming. We thank our staff, students and the community for their support during this time.”

One parent at the scene said they received a text message at 11.53am about the school going into lockdown.

”You hear about these things happening in the States not here,” she said.

“I just am very anxious. There was a threat of someone coming down and shooting. A threatening phone call.”

A second parent said he wanted to know why the street was not blocked off: ”Both of my boys are in there. I am very angry about it.”

A message on Rutherford College’s website confirmed it is in lockdown “due to an incident”. A kohanga reo at the school site is also in lockdown.

‘Please do not come to the school or phone’

“We will continue to provide updates on our website as often as possible. Please do not come to the school or phone the school as you will not be attended to and this may cause disruption to the management of this incident and could potentially place yourselves and/or our staff and student’s safety at risk,” the message says

“We will update this website when the lock down has been completed. Thank you.”

Locals are reporting armed police at the school and say police with rifles were setting up near the Z petrol station.

Parents on social media say their children had texted them to say the school was in lockdown.

Three primary schools are also in lockdown: Matipo Primary, Rutherford Primary and Te Atatu intermediate.

Matipo Primary’s Facebook page says the school’s gates and entrances are locked and children are in their classrooms.

Parents are asked to not call the school office to keep the lines of communication free for the police and education officials.

Te Atatu Intermediate School has also gone into lockdown as a precaution because of an “event happening within the community”.

They asked that parents refrain from contacting any staff because they were busy caring for students.

All students are safe and accounted for, they said.

Further updates would be provided on the school website.

The following early childhood education centres are also in lockdown: BestStart Te Atatū, BestStart Te Atatū Rd, Fetufa Tokelau Akoga Kamata Early Childhood Centre, Go Bananas Childcare, Rutherford Preschool, Te Atatū Peninsula Kindergarten, Te Atatū Village Kindergarten, Kōhanga Reo o Te Kōtuku.

The Ministry of Education said: “We will continue to work with the police and will be supporting the schools and early learning services as the situation unfolds.”

Earlier lockdown at Manurewa high school

Alfriston College in Manurewa was also placed in lockdown for about 30 minutes earlier this morning.

Police said there was a report of a person with a gun in the wider Randwick Park area but that had not been substantiated.

The school was now out of lockdown and operating as normal.