1 in custody after lockdown at J.P. Taravella High School

Officers could be seen with guns drawn searching campus; fake gun found

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. ā€“ One person has been taken into custody after a fake gun was found Thursday morning at J.P. TaravellaĀ High School, police said.

Coral Springs police went classroom to classroom, searching the campus with their guns drawn, as the school was placed on "code red" lockdown.

Sky 10 was above the school as a teenager was escorted by officers and put into the back of a police car.

An email obtained by Local 10 News said police were searching for someone at the school.

Students could be seen huddled together outside. One student told Local 10 News that he was locked inside his classroom.

Local 10 News reporter Sanela Sabovic said a school resource officer received a tip about a gun on campus, prompting the search.

Coral Springs police said no shots were fired and no injuries were reported.Ā 

Parents were advised to pick up their children at the Coral Springs Gymnasium. All students were being bused there.

A student at the school told Sabovic that he was hanging out with friends before class when he saw all the commotion.

"I just ran for my life, basically," AyoubĀ Alkhafaji told Sabovic.

"This is insanity," parent Cassidy Cheriezangwill said of the lockdown.

Cellphone video obtained by Local 10 News showed students running through a hall of the school.

"It's ridiculous, because these kids come here to get an education, not to get shot," parent Chrissy Reyes said.

The school district's parent hotline is 754-321-0725. Parents with questions about their children are asked to call the number for more information.


About the Authors:

Sanela Sabovic joined Local 10 News in September 2012 as an assignment editor and associate producer.Ā In August 2015, she became a full-time reporter and fill-in traffic reporter. Sanela holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications with a concentration in radio, television and film from DePaul University.