Lockdown removed from North Hawaii schools

The lockdown has been lifted from schools in Waimea and Honokaa, according to school officials.

The individual suspected of making the threat that triggered the lockdown is in custody.

Classes have resumed, and parents have been alerted via phone that the lockdown has been lifted.

Earlier today, four public schools — Honokaa High and Intermediate, Honokaa Elementary, Waimea Elementary and Waimea Middle Public Conversion Charter School — were put on lockdown after police received word of an anonymous threat.

The schools were locked down at about 10:30 a.m., according to Waimea Elementary Principal Marcella McClelland.

Hamakua Police Capt. Richard Miyamoto said an unconnected third-party received a vague threat by either text or email and passed information along to police.

“In the ramblings of the thing, they had made a couple of mentions of the school, and out of courtesy, we passed on the information and they decided to go into that lockdown mode,” he said. “As far as any direct threat to the schools, at all, there is none, really that I can see, and I don’t believe they are in any kind of imminent danger or anything.”

McClelland and Honokaa High and Intermediate Vice Principal Alan Brown said a robo-call was made to parents.

“We have this all-call system we have to notify families,” McClelland said. “We have asked them to not come in to pick up their children at this time and to not tie up their phone lines by calling the school. As soon as we get an ‘all clear’ we will call them to inform them that our children are safe.”

Both said that officers were posted on campus.