Several schools in North Las Vegas went into lockdown Thursday after a police shooting near Legacy High School, the North Las Vegas Police Department said.
“North Las Vegas Police responded to the area near Legacy High School this morning regarding an active law enforcement incident involving an armed suspect,” said officer Roberto Vaquera in an email. “During the course of the incident, an officer-involved shooting occurred.”
Police said the scene has “since been secured and there is no known ongoing threat to the public.”
The episode caused traffic chaos in the area surrounding Legacy. Police blocked off several routes into the school during what one student described as a “hard lockdown.” The police blocking off intersections led to massive traffic backups for parents trying to pick up their kids. More than 100 vehicles were observed lining the roads on the north side of the school campus with parents in slow-moving traffic as they tried to locate their kids.
Mackenzie Roberts was one of the motorists trying to navigate the traffic to pick up her 16-year-old little sister.
“Terrifying,” she said of the police presence and blocked off streets.
“I was at work and my little sister called me and told me what was going on,” she said. “I left work and rushed over here from across town. She didn’t give me a lot of information. I left to come get her and i can’t get in.”
Parent Crystina Kline said she found a traffic logjam to navigate as she tried to pick up her 16-year-old. The congestion was compounded by the fact that students were coming out of not just Legacy but also the adjacent Northeast Career and Technical Academy.
“We got a brief email saying they may stagger pickups,” she said. “There was no word about road closures.”
She eventually touched base with her daughter and was able to pick up her daughter.
“I didn’t feel like there was enough information,” she said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
