Hunter High student in custody following lockdown


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WEST VALLEY CITY — A Hunter High School student is in custody after he and another person were seen entering the school with firearms Thursday afternoon.

West Valley City police received a report about 4 p.m. that shots had been fired near the school at 4200 S. 5600 West. Witnesses told police they saw two males discharging firearms in the field west of the school and then entering the school.

Hunter High went into lockdown for more than two hours while police searched for those involved. One of them, a student at the school, was apprehended in the parking lot, police said. Officers also recovered a handgun in a garbage can inside the school.

Police searched the school but did not find the other person believed to be involved, said West Valley Police Sgt. Amy Maurer. The lockdown was lifted about 6:20 p.m.


The cops came in with machine guns and told us to stay seated.

–Brandy Todd


Police are still investigating why the two males were shooting guns in the field or why they took firearms into the school. No shots were fired inside the school, Maurer said.

"It doesn't appear there was anything potentially targeting the school," she said.

About 100 students were in the building for after-school programs. All students were accounted for, and no injuries were reported, police said.

Brandy Todd was there for her adult education program. "The cops came in with machine guns and told us to stay seated," she said.

West Valley police and officers from the Granite School District worked to clear the school, making sure the alleged gunmen were not still inside.

"Bunch of cops burst through the auditorium and kicked us out of the high school and told us they were searching for someone," said senior TJ Tupola.

Police held a few students for questioning. They were handcuffed and later released when investigators figured out they were innocent.

"Feels like I was being blamed for something I didn't do," said Samiu Lomu, a sophomore.

Because the student taken into custody is a juvenile, police are not releasing his name.

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Story written by Jared Page and Pat Reavy with contributions from Alex Cabrero.

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