School lockdown drills have become common — experts say they could be better

Before the Columbine High School shooting, schools prepared for fires and natural disasters. After the 1999 massacre, states enacted lockdown and active shooter drills.

• Apr 23, 2024

"Gel blaster" toy gun leads to lockdown at Cape high school

A lockdown was lifted at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School Friday morning after a student shot others with a toy "gel blaster" gun.

• Jun 23, 2023

Shooting in Worcester puts nearby schools on lockdown

A shooting in Worcester put nearby schools on lockdown Monday.

• Oct 24, 2022

Threat On App Forces Lock Down At East Bridgewater School

The App 'STOPit', is used to identify bullying, but Thursday, somebody used the app to bully the entire school.

• Nov 15, 2018

Suspicious Person Report That Led To Chicopee School Lockdown Was Hoax

Students at a high school in western Massachusetts were placed in lockdown and are being dismissed while police investigate a report of a suspicious person in the building.

• Aug 31, 2018

Braintree Parent Brings Gun To Elementary School

A parent who was removed from a Braintree elementary school was found to have a weapon in their backpack.

• May 18, 2018

Student Charged After Tewksbury School Placed In Lockdown For Threats

A 14-year-old male freshman at Tewksbury High School has been arrested; No firearms or other threats were found.

• Mar 1, 2018

Threat Directed At Maryland School Locks Down Similarly Named Mass. School

An online threat directed at a Maryland school briefly put Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School on lockdown.

• Feb 26, 2018

Unfounded Report Of Man In Body Armor Prompts Westfield State Lockdown

Westfield State University has been placed in lockdown while police search for a suspicious man who was reported on campus.

• Nov 13, 2017

High School Goes On Lockdown As Police Arrest Aggressive Student

A Melrose High School student was arrested and the school was on lockdown Friday morning as officials responded to a potential threat. 

• Oct 6, 2017

House Speaker Stuck In Weymouth School During Lockdown

A suburban Boston high school was placed on lockdown with Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo and another state lawmaker stuck aside.

• May 21, 2015

NH School Locked Down After Student Finds Shotgun Shell

A New Hampshire middle school was placed in lockdown on Monday after a student found a shotgun shell inside a locker room.

• Nov 17, 2014

NH School Locks Its Doors With Gunman Report

Police have arrested a man after it was reported he had a gun at an apartment complex, forcing a temporary lockdown at a nearby elementary school.

• Nov 8, 2013

Coyote Captured In Mattapan After Wandering Near School

A school in Mattapan was put in safe mode late Thursday morning because a coyote was spotted wandering around outside.

• Oct 18, 2012

Lockdown At Lincoln-Sudbury High After Shell Casings Found

Lincoln-Sudbury High School was temporarily placed into lockdown on Monday after a teacher found two shell casings in the school.

• May 16, 2011

Burlington Bank Robbery Prompts School Lockdowns

Two schools in Burlington were placed in lockdown on Wednesday for a few hours while police investigated a bank robbery nearby.

• Jan 5, 2011

4 arrested in Lawrence drive-by shooting

• Sep 20, 2010