A group of mothers huddled around each other, some sobbing, as they stood outside Hollister High School where students and staff were in a lockdown, despite requests from school and police to stay away from the area.
Other parents stood on the corner of Palmtag Drive and Monterey Street in front of the high school, which was barricaded by a fleet of Hollister police cars.
Yesenia Rivera, 50, was receiving updates from her son via texts.
Concerned, Rivera said the school should implement more security measures and mentioned that the police had been preparing for a lockdown after the May glitch.
“I feel thankful,” Rivera said. “It looks like they’re [the police] on it.”
Parents lining the streets started to become restless when officers brought two male youths in handcuffs out of the school’s administration building on Monterey Road and into police cars.
Hollister Police Chief Ray Reynoso told parents there was a call about a “possible drug transaction” in which a school resource officer found a student in possession of a loaded gun. He added that three students were detained and that there were no reports of injury to students or staff.
A visible wave of relief swept over the parents.
Most were still asking when they would see their children now that the threat was removed.
Police said they needed to search the classrooms for any danger.
“The lockdown will be released very very soon,” Reynoso told the parents.
The lockdown was lifted around 12:15 p.m. and classes were canceled for the rest of the day, according to a San Benito High School District news release.
Classes will resume Sept. 15.
Students are encouraged to seek help from the Counseling and Wellness Center, the release stated.
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