CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — Two schools in Chula Vista were on lockdown Thursday after police received a call that a man was waving and pointing a gun out toward Lauderbach Elementary. Both Lauderbach and Palomar High School were on lockdown while police investigated.
With the help of a drone, police were able to quickly locate the man and commanded that he toss the gun down to the ground. Police say it turned out to be a black BB gun. The man was not arrested, rather, detained by police and taken off-site for medical evaluation.
“It makes you feel uncomfortable. Like you're not safe living at your own home anymore,” one mother told 10News.
The mother, who lives inside the apartment complex where police located the man, says this isn’t the first time this man has made families feel uneasy with bizarre and threatening behavior.
“The kids were playing and he just went up to them and told them he was going to kill every single one of them,” she said.
“We don't know what his intentions might be. If he could be upset. It did scare us because we're unaware if he's going to come back,” she said.
Police haven’t yet confirmed this man’s identity or if he has a history of concerning behavior in the neighborhood. 10News asked the Chula Vista Police Dept. how long the man would be under medical evaluation. A spokesperson said they could not answer that because he is no longer under police control.
The mother says she and others are concerned because many of the kids in this apartment complex attend school just across the street.
“I hope they can figure out the best way…so at least if he needs help, to get the proper help he needs. Another shooting at school maybe could be prevented if he gets the help he needs,” she said.
Police added it’s critical for people to report any kind of suspicious behavior so they can proactively respond and investigate in situations like this.
