All-Clear at Loudoun County High School After Lockdown

A school security official mistaking a set of headphones for a gun prompted a lockdown at Loudoun County High School and a big response from Leesburg Police Wednesday morning.

The Leesburg Police Department responded Wednesday morning to a report of an armed subject at the school at about 8:06 a.m., according to a news release from the department.

The school reported to police that there was a male subject reported to be armed with a handgun outside of the school, police said.

The school security employee assigned to the school observed what she thought was a male subject carrying a handgun while monitoring the school security cameras, police said in the news release.

Multiple police units responded to the scene and secured the area. The school
was placed on lockdown during this time. Officers searched the exterior grounds
as well as the interior of the school, they said.

A male student matching the description was located and detained. The student was determined to only be carrying a pair of headphones, police noted.

All pre-planned emergency safety protocols worked as designed to ensure the safety of the students and staff. There were no danger to the students or staff at the school, and normal school operations are beginning to resume, according to police.