Riverside High School in Durham went into lockdown Tuesday afternoon after administrators received a tip that a student might have had a weapon on campus, turning an ordinary school day into an anxious wait for hundreds of families.
Durham police officers and deputies from the Durham County Sheriff's Office responded and secured the campus, keeping students and staff inside while they searched the building and surrounding grounds. The school day runs until 4:15 p.m., and officials restricted entry and exit until an all-clear was given. Authorities remained at the school into the afternoon as the situation played out.
Police respond to tip, campus sealed off
According to WRAL, school administrators called in law enforcement after getting a report of a possible weapon, and officers arrived at Riverside around 3 p.m. The campus was closed to both entry and exit while deputies and Durham police carried out a sweep. Investigators signaled the all-clear once their search was complete. WRAL reported that its newsroom was working to learn more as the situation developed.
Repeat alarms for Riverside this school year
Riverside has already seen several lockdowns this school year after anonymous tips or social media posts triggered searches that ultimately turned up no weapons, as reported by ABC11. Sheriff Clarence Birkhead has urged people to use tip lines responsibly, warning that false reports stir up fear on campus and pull first responders away from other calls. The string of alerts at Riverside has renewed community debate over how schools and law enforcement should handle threats that arrive through anonymous messages and online chatter.
District info and how families get updates
Durham Public Schools maintains a Riverside High page that lists the campus address at 3218 Rose of Sharon Road along with contact information and the bell schedule. Families are advised to keep an eye on district channels and ParentSquare for official updates, and the district typically coordinates with law enforcement when there is an active investigation on campus. For campus details, see the Riverside page on the Durham Public Schools website: Durham Public Schools.
What we still do not know
Officials have not released information about any arrests or said whether a weapon was actually recovered. Local reporters say they are waiting on more details from law enforcement. WRAL reported it was still gathering information as of its latest update. In the meantime, the district and deputies are urging the public to rely on official alerts instead of unverified social media posts when potential threats surface.
