West Auckland -- 'Very scary' - four schools in lockdown, kids cower under desks large police presence in area

Brian from Mount Roskill

Rutherford College in West Auckland has been placed in lockdown, with students told to stay indoors and armed police in the area.
Photos have been posted photos online of students huddling under desks with the classroom’s curtains closed.
A parent told the Herald she has been waiting for her daughter who studies at Rutherford Primary but “it seems like something is happening at the college”.
Armed police and patrol vehicles are stationed outside Rutherford College. Parents are not being allowed inside and have been told to wait outside.
One parent at the scene said they received a text message at 11.53am about the school going into lockdown.
”You hear about these things happening in the States not here,” she told the Herald.
“I just am very anxious. There was a threat of someone coming down and shooting. A threatening phone call.”
A message on Rutherford College’s website confirmed it is in lockdown “due to an incident”.
“We will continue to provide updates on our website as often as possible. Please do not come to the school or phone the school as you will not be attended to and this may cause disruption to the management of this incident and could potentially place yourselves and/or our staff and student’s safety at risk,” the message says
“We will update this website when the lock down has been completed. Thank you.”
Locals are reporting armed police at the school and say police with rifles were setting up near the Z petrol station.
Parents on social media say their children had texted them to say the school was in lockdown.
Another Te Atatu primary school, Matipo Primary, has also gone into lockdown due to the unfolding situation.
On its Facebook page the school says all its gates and entrances are locked and children are in their classrooms.
Parents are asked to not call the school office to keep the lines of communication free for the police and education officials.
Earlier lockdown at Manurewa high school
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Alfriston College in Manurewa was also placed in lockdown for about 30 minutes earlier this morning.
Police said there was a report of a person with a gun in the wider Randwick Park area but that had not been substantiated.
The school was now out of lockdown and operating as normal.
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