Mandarin Middle lockdown lifted; principal says no gun found during search of campus

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A lockdown was lifted Thursday afternoon at Mandarin Middle School, according to a message sent to students’ families.

According to a message shared with News4JAX by Duval County Public Schools around 1:50 pm, the school was placed on lockdown “due to a report that a student may be in possession of a firearm.

The message stated that all students and staff are safe.

It also reminded families that no one is allowed to enter or leave the school on Hood Road while the campus is on lockdown.

About 30 minutes later, the Duval County school district informed News4JAX that the lockdown was lifted and an update was provided to families.

In the second message, Mandarin Middle Principal Humphreys said that no firearm was found during a search of the campus and that police have allowed the school to return to normal operating status.

“While this information turned out to be false, we will always take the steps necessary to ensure the safety of our campus,” the principal said.

Below is the entire first message that was sent to Mandarin Middle families:

And below is the full second message that was sent: