High school lockdown drill turns real when handgun found

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A high school lockdown drill turned into the real thing when a handgun and ammunition clips were found in the backpack of a student in Ohio’s capital city of Columbus.

The Dispatch reports Walnut Ridge High School cancelled its football game Friday night after the incident earlier in the day.

The school was about to send students inside for a reverse evacuation and lockdown drill around 1 p.m. when the principal was told a student had a gun. The student fled, leaving the backpack behind, after learning police had been called. He was later arrested by a motorcycle officer.

Students were sent back into the building and remained on lockdown until around 2:30 p.m.

Officials say the away game at Columbus South High School was cancelled to avoid potential trouble.

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Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com