TUSD School Safety shares protocols for lockdowns; 6 students arrested for disrupting school grounds

TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - TUSD School Safety spoke out after multiple fights broke out at Tucson High School, leading to a lockdown.

A social media post also suggested a weapon may have been at Tucson High. However, after a full search of the school grounds, TPD and TUSD School Safety found no weapon.

Six students are facing charges for disrupting an educational institution, with one student facing a felony for harming a school staff member.

“It was pretty bad,” said student Jacqueline Mendoza. “They weren’t being specific on what to do, and even the teacher was confused. Some students were trapped in a little corner, and other students were under a table.”

“It was pretty scary.”

Mendoza said many students were absent from class and many more hall monitors and school safety personnel were at Tucson High.

During a lockdown, Joe Hallums, director of school safety at TUSD, says it’s best to wait before notifying family and friends of a situation.

“We understand that students and staff might be doing the same thing at the same time, they may be sharing that with people, loved ones, other people within their communities,” he said.

“But, we also want to share accurate information.”

Another thing to keep in mind is where your information comes from. Relying on only one source, like a social media post, may not tell the full story.

“Social media is only source of information,” Hallums said.

“So please look at the information as an aggregate, not just one source of information, understanding there may be biases or just not a full scope and understanding of the situation at hand.”

13 News requested body camera footage and arrest records from the incident and expects them to be released next week.

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