Armed police were called to Gloucester after an altercation near Chalford Road in Tuffley left a boy injured and pushed St Peter's High School and Willow Primary Academy into lockdown. Pupils and staff were kept inside while officers searched for a group that had fled the scene.
One boy was taken to hospital with minor injuries. Jimmy, a pupil at St Peter's High School, said the alarm went off and a computer displayed the message: "This is a lockdown".
Jimmy at St Peter's High School
Jimmy said the situation was "really scary" and that he was still in shock. He said, "At the time I was scared. My heart was racing," and described being locked in classrooms for two to three hours. He also said the school let students use their phones after about an hour, and that the school had run lockdown drills before, although nothing like this had happened in real life.
He added, "[When police cars arrived] I thought this is getting serious, I'm getting worried, I don't know what's going on," before saying, "What I am is shocked. I'm surprised that this happened," after the incident.
Police at Chalford Road
Police said there was no ongoing threat at the school, but pupils were still locked down and an armed search was underway near two Gloucester schools. Officers had been called earlier after a male was seen with a long-bladed item nearby, and the schools remained shut to students while the search continued. For parents, that meant waiting until both schools released students later in the day.
Adam, whose daughter attends the same school, said, "I don't think this should happen at school. Thank God she is safe." The immediate question left by the incident is what happened in the altercation that injured the boy and prompted the armed response.
