Superintendent Dr. Bob McBride said Lockport Township High School District 205 experienced a mistaken lockdown alarm on the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, prompting an immediate response from the Lockport Police and a protective sweep of district campuses.

The alarm activated at about 4:23 p.m., after regular school hours but while students remained on site for band practice, athletics and other activities, McBride said. “Everyone did their duty. Everyone locked down. Everyone got to a secure place,” he said, and added that district administrators and Lockport Police performed both interior and exterior checks of East Campus and the Central campus.

McBride said district staff treated the alarm as a real emergency until they confirmed it was accidental and praised the Lockport Police for their prompt response. He told families the district will notify them in either case: “We will send you multiple messages. ... If we ever, we hope never, have a real safety emergency, we will tell you always.”

The district said the alarm was a mistaken activation of the lockdown system. No injuries or threats were reported and McBride thanked staff, students and police for following safety procedures.

District officials did not announce any changes to the lockdown system or new security measures during the briefing; McBride reiterated the district’s commitment to notifying families about accidental or real emergency alerts and to continuing school safety practices.