On Friday, April 28, shortly before 11:13 a.m., La Mesa Police Officers responded to Helix High School, 7323 University Avenue, regarding a report of suspicious subjects seen near the baseball fields, one of whom possibly had a weapon.

The school administrators placed the campus on a secure lockdown as a precaution. Officers were able to identify a group of subjects who were near a vehicle parked in the 4200 block of Lowell Avenue. An airsoft gun was located inside that vehicle and officers determined none of the involved individuals had brought the airsoft gun onto the school campus.

The La Mesa Police Department said it wanted to thank the staff member who immediately notified law enforcement of a potential threat to the school. LMPD also wants to thank the staff at Helix High School for their decisive action to protect their students and campus.

Although this case proved to be a false alarm, law enforcement encourages students, school staff, and parents to notify law enforcement of any threat.

Additionally, students can anonymously report information via Students Speaking Out. This program from Crime Stoppers allows students to share their voice and make their school and community safer (studentsspeakingout.org).