Modified lockdown at three WRSD buildings this morning

Published 1:30 am Thursday, February 19, 2026

Three White River School District buildings went into modified lockdown earlier this morning after police activity was in the area.

The modified lockdown – which consists of locking down exterior doors to buildings but allowing students to continue to move about the school as regular – started at 8:30 a.m. for White River High, Mountain Meadow Elementary, and the Early Learning Center; the district clarified that students at the elementary school and the Early Learning Center were not even in school yet, and buses were re-routed for only a short time before the lockdown lifted at these buildings.

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office released the high school from modified lockdown about an hour later.

“We want to reassure you that student safety remains our highest priority,” an email to parents and families reads. “Our schools follow well-practiced safety procedures and work closely with local law enforcement to respond quickly and appropriately when situations arise nearby.”

According to PCSO Deputy Carly Cappetto, law enforcement was investigating a report of a single gunshot in the area.

“School went in lockdown while multiple deputies conducted an area check for where the shot came from,” she continued. “After about an hour of finding nothing with no other callers, the deputies cleared the scene and the lock-down was lifted.”