UPDATE: As of 1:50 p.m., the lockdown has been lifted, according to SMPD officials.
Santa Monica High School is currently on lockdown due to police activity in the area, according to a District officials.
In a tweet posted by the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District on its official Twitter feed, officials noted, “All students are safe” and that the lockdown occurred after the Santa Monica Police Department notified district officials of “police activity in the area.”
In a post on social media, SMMUSD Community and Public Relations Officer Gail Pinsker wrote, “You may have heard that Samohi is on lockdown right now. This is true. All students are safe at school. SMPD suggested the lockdown due to police activity in the area. We will advise you when the lockdown is lifted.”
According to Santa Monica Patch, police are searching for a robbery suspect in the area.
According to Santa Monica Police Department officials, the police “received a radio call for service at 12:15 pm of an armed robbery that occurred in the area of 7th Street and Pico Blvd across the street from Santa Monica High School. The suspects were last seen walking into a building in the 700 block of south side Pico Blvd. We have taken one of the three suspects into custody.”
“The incident occurred just prior to lunch time therefore the school was placed on lockdown for precautionary reasons and not allow SAMOHI students in the area of the incident. Officers are actively searching the building and the school remains on lockdown,” officials said.
As of 1:50 p.m., the lockdown had been lifted, according to SMPD officials.