This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
West Valley City • Police responded to a report of a man with a gun at a school Thursday evening.
The report came from American Preparatory Academy, 1255 W. 2590 South, about 4:30 p.m. No injuries were reported.
Students who had been participating in an after-school program at the school were reunited with their parents after being on lockdown in the school, said West Valley Police Chief Lee Russo.
Officers and a state police helicopter are searching the area for the man to "make sure there have been no intrusions into homes," said Russo.
At 6 p.m., officers spoke to a man who said he had been doing yardwork on his property near the school at about the time the report was filed. He was wearing clothes similar to what the students had reported, said West Valley City police Lt. Blair Barfuss.
"We're not discrediting [what] the students or the teacher [said], but after an extensive search by helicopter and on foot, no other persons were located," said Barfuss.
The school, formerly known as The School for New Americans, opened in 2009 and has served refugee students and their families, according to the school's website, which said it hosts about 570 students in grades K-9.
Twitter: @tiffany_mf