Call of possible armed man locks down Colfax schools

Colfax High and Elementary Schools were locked down for more than two hours Thursday afternoon, Feb. 5, following a report of a man possibly armed with a gun in the area. At 4 p.m., the Placer County Sheriff's Office issued an update noting "no armed individual was located" and that most of the school staffs and students left campus. A large number of law enforcement gathered at both schools – on the 24000 block of Ben Taylor Road – after a call was received at 1:30 p.m. of a man possibly with a firearm in the vicinity of Colfax Elementary. The School Resource Officer was on campus when the call came in. Colfax High School Interim Principal Trent Wilson announced to staff, students and families the schools were conducting a "Shelter In Place as a safety precaution." Deputies searched the schools and surrounding area using drones and a California Highway Patrol helicopter and, "No armed individual was located on either campus or in the immediate area," according to a Placer County Sheriff's Office press release. Law enforcement vehicles began leaving the area around 2:45 p.m., while deputies were scheduled to remain at the schools for student pickup. "We understand incidents like this can be concerning,"the Sheriff's Office said in the news release. "Thank you to students, staff, parents and our community for your cooperation and patience as we worked to ensure everyone's safety."