Incident at Rio Grande High School Sparks Lockdown
On Thursday, two underage girls, suspected of armed robbery, were reported to have boarded a school bus and entered the Rio Grande High School campus in New Mexico, prompting a lockdown.
The alert was raised after students noticed two “suspicious women” roaming around the campus. Lockdown procedures were swiftly initiated by officials, as staff members secured their classrooms and began to search the school for any intruders. The girls were eventually found hiding in a bathroom stall on the upper floor and were escorted out.
After fleeing the campus, the pair was arrested by Bernalillo County Sheriff’s deputies. The lockdown itself lasted around 15 minutes. Authorities later confirmed that the girls had outstanding warrants related to armed robbery and now face additional charges.
The school principal addressed the incident, emphasizing the importance of safety. “We understand how significant these situations are, but we want to ensure everyone’s well-being,” the principal stated.
In light of the incident, the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) district is looking into how the girls managed to board the bus in the first place. The Transportation Director commented, “What happened yesterday should not occur. We are addressing issues with our bus contractors.”
The Associated Press reported that school bus drivers are provided with a route list to identify eligible riders. If a driver encounters an unfamiliar student at a bus stop, they are instructed to radio dispatch and verify the child’s name, address, school, and other relevant details. There is an ongoing discussion about requiring students to carry their school IDs at all times and implementing a scanner for identity verification on the buses.
As of Monday morning, inquiries made to APS regarding the incident had not yet received a response.
