CMR ON LOCKDOWN

As of 10:25a CMR High School remains on lockdown after a report of someone possibly outside the school with a gun. At this point, nobody has been found. Great Falls Police say the area remains very active at this hour. They are now searching the inside of the school and looking at area surveillance video from that area.

The call came in around 7:50 this morning that someone had seen someone possibly with a gun. Police are also interviewing students to separate fact from fiction. Sacajawea, Riverview, valley view and skyline elementary schools remain on a shelter in place status. The same goes for North Middle School.

UPDATE 11:30A

Students at CMR are now allowed to leave the school. Students who drive to school will be allowed to leave in their vehicle. All others are being bussed to Four Seasons Arena where parents can now pick them up.

Police Captain Doug Otto says several students are remaining at the school as police continue to interview.

Police press release

May 25, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Potential Threat to CMR High School

GREAT FALLS, MT – This morning, just before 8:00am, the School Resource Officer at CMR High School, Detective Jesse Rosteck, was alerted to a potential threat to the school involving a student with a gun. Detective Rosteck immediately placed the school in “lockdown” status. Students and staff were directed to secure themselves in classrooms and no one was allowed to enter or exit the building.

Law enforcement officers from several different agencies, including Cascade County Sheriff’s Office, US Marshal Service, MT Probation and Parole, Montana Highway Patrol, Customs & Border Protection, and the FBI converged on the school and the surrounding area.

Crews from Great Falls Fire Rescue and Great Falls Emergency Services staged, as a precaution, to administer emergency medical care if needed.

The initial report came from a parent who said, during morning drop-off, they saw a student place a gun into a bag and walk into the school.

Detectives worked with the parent to review surveillance video and identified the situation in question. The students involved were located within the school and were questioned regarding the report. Detectives were able to determine that the item seen by the reporting party was a benign object that could have been mistaken for the barrel of a gun. It was determined there was no threat.

The students who were questioned were fully cooperative, have been cleared of any wrongdoing, and were released to their parents.

We are grateful for the parent who reported what they saw. We strongly encourage this kind of diligence; community members should be reassured it is always appropriate to report suspicious activity, that is the only way we can work to ensure safety. 

In every school across Great Falls, there are children, family members, and friends of GFPD personnel; we understand first-hand how frightening this type of situation can be. We appreciate the community’s patience and cooperation as we worked to ensure the safety of students and staff, and resolve the incident.