Atwater elementary school placed on lockdown after gunshots heard in area, police say

An Atwater school was briefly placed on lockdown Monday when gunshots were heard in the area, according to authorities.

At about 4:30 p.m., police received multiple calls of shots fired in the area of Holly Avenue and High Street, according to the Atwater Police Department. Authorities said officers also reported hearing gunshots when they arrived on scene.

Officers established a perimeter in a two-block area around the intersection and the nearby Thomas Olaeta Elementary School was placed on lockdown, according to Atwater Police Chief Michael Salvador.

Law enforcement officers from the Merced County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, Merced County Probation and Livingston Police Department responded to the area to assist the Atwater Police Department in a search of the area.

According to Salvador, the lockdown, which lasted a couple of hours, was initiated out of an abundance of caution in an effort to ensure the safety of children and the parents picking them up from after school programs.

Officers used drones and went house to house in the search. Police found no evidence of a crime. According to Salvador, no one was arrested.

The incident remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact the Atwater Police Department at 209-357-6384.