Armed Police in West Auckland: Schools Closing

The children were allowed to leave four schools, four schools that were closed while armed police searched for someone in West Auckland.

Police are responding to an emergency incident in Kelston and say officers “carry firearms as a precaution.”

Shortly before 4 pm, a police spokesman said officers “were still working to determine the full set of circumstances and our investigations are ongoing.”

He was unable to provide further information.

Kelston Boys High School, Kelston Girls College, Kelston Intermediate School and St Leonards Rd School were closed shortly after 2 p.m., police said.

“We have a report of concerns for the welfare of a person and we are in the area at this time making inquiries to try to locate this person,” said a police spokesman.

Because the schools were in the nearby area, police advised them to close, the spokesman said.

A short video clip posted on Facebook appears to show an armed police officer walking down Archibald Rd.

St Leonards Rd School previously confirmed that it was still closed. A post on the school’s website read: “Please do not try to enter the school grounds.”

He said all the students were safe and accounted for, but would remain locked up until further notice.

“St Leonards Road School has been closed as reported by the police. We will continue to provide updates on our website as often as possible. Please do not come to the school or call the school as you will not be attended and this may cause disruption handling of this incident and could potentially put the safety of you and / or our staff and students at risk. We will update this website when the shutdown is complete. Thank you. “

Akram Aziz, a taxi driver who takes students home from elementary school at the end of the day, arrived around 2pm to be told the school was closed.

“An alarm went off, it was a really strange alarm, not like one I’ve heard before.”

A staff member told him that no one was allowed to leave the school, but did not say why, he said.

“The school is very quiet. I can’t hear anything, it’s like the school is empty.

“I can see armed police walking and hear a helicopter circling the area.”

Shortly before 3:30 p.m., a police spokesman said students would soon be allowed to leave schools.

“Given the end of the school day, the police will shortly begin a graduated release of students that is being done in cooperation with the schools,” he said.

“This will help with any traffic congestion that may build up in the area.”

Police investigations continued into the incident.

But an update on the St Leonards Rd school website said police were releasing students from one school at a time.

“We are still waiting to be released.”

Kelston Boys High School confirmed that he was locked up, but said he couldn’t say more.

The school’s evacuation announcement could be heard in the background of the call.

Kelston Middle School said on its Facebook page: “We are taking precautions and following police guidelines.”

Kelston Girls College principal Adeline Blair told Stuff that the school had been closed around 2.30 pm as a “precaution.”

The incident comes a day after Massey’s Lincoln Heights schools closed following a firearms incident.

Armed police invaded the West Auckland suburb after a firearm was reportedly fired on Keegan Drive, Massey, just before noon Monday.

Members of the Armed Criminal Brigade responded and two people were arrested. There were no reports of injuries on the Massey property.

“Police are still working to determine the full set of circumstances from the previous incident and these investigations will continue this afternoon,” police said in a statement.

Around 2 a.m., another incident occurred outside a property on the same street. Police say initial indications show that eight shots were fired at parked vehicles.

No people were found on the property and there were no reports of injuries.

“This … will undoubtedly be of concern to families living nearby and the community at large,” Detective Sergeant Major Megan Goldi said yesterday.