REPORT FROM THE DOE – HONOLULU – Roosevelt High ended classes at 10 a.m. today as a result of an incident that placed the school under lockdown earlier in the morning. Classes will resume tomorrow as scheduled.
The lockdown began around 8:30 a.m. when two police officers arrived to escort a 17-year-old reported “runaway” off campus. The male is a non-active student registered at Roosevelt High. According to the Honolulu Police Department (HPD), upon seeing the police officers, the male became combative and brandished a knife, which he used to slash at the officers. One of the officers fired two shots, striking the male once. The male was taken to a hospital in serious condition with non-life threatening injuries.
Parents were immediately notified of the lockdown through the school’s emergency call system. An hour and a half later, the school released students early to allow the HPD to conduct an investigation. Parents and guardians were notified of a student pick-up location.
“Incidents like this are very rare in Hawaii, however, our partnership with the Honolulu Police Department on safety drills played a major role in the success of today’s lockdown,” stated Schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi. “I commend Roosevelt High staff and students for their diligence in following safety protocols, as well as police officers for quickly bringing the situation under control. I also want to thank parents for their patience and understanding during the incident.”
Complex Area Superintendent Ruth Silberstein added, “Today’s situation was handled in a manner that caused the least disruption on campus and it is a testament to our teachers, faculty and students.”
Roosevelt High will have supports and counselors available to students when classes resume. There are 1,390 students enrolled at Roosevelt High.
All Hawaii State Department of Education schools conduct regular safety drills in coordination with HPD to ensure students and staff are prepared to respond to emergencies.