Update: Report of active shooter at Santa Cruz High School 'likely a prank'

SANTA CRUZ -- A false report of an active shooter prompted a lockdown and evacuation of Santa Cruz High School Thursday morning, along with other nearby school lockdowns.

Santa Cruz Police Chief Bernie Escalante said in a social media post that officers responded just after 9:30 a.m. to the hoax report, including with planes and drones above the area.

"We have not found any signs or evidence of an active shooter or anybody with any injuries," said Escalante.

The school posted a message on its website from Santa Cruz City Schools (SCCS) at 10:23 a.m., saying that police asked to have the campus at 415 Walnut Ave. locked down following an anonymous tip of a shooter on campus. 

An updated message on the school's website at 10:30 a.m. said there was no confirmation of a shooter and there were no incidents of violence at any of the district's campuses. Santa Cruz High students were evacuated during the incident while other schools in the city were also placed on lockdown or told to shelter in place.

"Out of an abundance of caution, police have asked us to lock down all of our school sites, but at the moment we have no evidence of a threat at this time," the message said.

Just before noon, the SCCS provided another update, saying the anonymous tip was "likely a prank" and there was no evidence of a shooter, of violence, or of a threat to the school.

Santa Cruz police said evacuated students were being reunited with their parents at Depot Park.

On October 12, police officers across the San Francisco Bay Area scrambled to multiple reports of shootings at school campuses, only to find that the calls were hoaxes.