On March 1, 2024, at approximately 10:15 a.m., officers of the Sahuarita Police Department were notified of a claim that there was a student on the Walden Grove High School campus with a shotgun who had expressed intent to harm other students. The Sahuarita Police Department (SPD) immediately alerted WGHS and the campus was placed on lockdown.
While officers were en route, a possible shot was reported. Officers immediately entered the school upon arrival and began searching for potential threats building by building. During the initial sweep, officers ensured that all classroom doors were locked.
More than two dozen Law Enforcement officers including SPD, and HSI arrived on campus within minutes of the report to assist with the incident, and a roadblock was placed at Sahuarita Park Rd. and Sahuarita Rd to contain the scene.
An initial campus search did not locate any unauthorized persons, weapons, or dangerous devices. Following the initial sweep, a comprehensive second search was conducted.
Multiple student names were identified through police and social media channels. These students were promptly contacted, interviewed, and determined to have no involvement with the threat.
At 12:50 PM the lockdown at Walden Grove High School was lifted and normal operations resumed for the remainder of the school day.
No one was injured during the incident.
Detectives are currently investigating the origin of the phone call and are actively following leads. The threat appears to be a hoax known as “swatting,” where false reports of a serious nature are made that trigger a significant law enforcement response.