School locks down after gunfire reports

Los Molinos Elementary School and Los Molinos High School were locked down for about one hour on Monday due to student reports of gunfire nearby.

It turned out to be an area resident shooting a "varmint," the Tehama County Sheriff's Department reported.

Lt. Dave Greer said the lock down started around 11:30 a.m. when eighth-grade students entered their classroom and told the teacher they heard gunshots.

The teacher immediately reported the information to school staff, which in turn called the Sheriff's Department.

"We had a deputy nearby, and by they time he arrived, the school was already in lock down," Greer said. "The school, its students and staff did an excellent job handling this situation."

Los Molinos Unified School District officials chose to lock down the high school as well for precautionary measures.

Greer said the Sheriff's Department conducted interviews of the students, made a sweep of the campus and the area.

"We learned there was a resident on Lincoln Street who shot a varmint in his yard near a creek," Greer said. "He did so in a legal and safe manner. After he shot the animal, he went back to work having no idea the results of the shooting."

The lock down at both schools was lifted around 12:30 p.m.

"The district passed its emergency protocols with an A grade," Greer stated. "I believe this incident was a matter of timing and the heightened fear due to recent shootings at schools."