Armed man spotted near Palo Alto High School; campus briefly placed under shelter-in-place order

Palo Alto High School was placed under a shelter in place order Thursday morning after reports of an armed man near campus surfaced, police said.

PALO ALTO — Palo Alto High School was briefly placed under a shelter-in-place order just before noon Thursday after a man was seen with a gun near campus, according to authorities.

Police said the man was seen on a bike path near campus around 11:30 a.m., pointing a handgun at vehicles driving on Alma Street.

The decision to shelter in place came from school staff, according to police. The order was lifted as of 12:15 p.m. after neither the suspect or any additional witnesses were located after a search of campus and the surrounding area.

Officers will remain on scene as students return to class as scheduled.

There was no immediate word of shots being fired, or any other reported injuries.

Update as of 12:15 p.m.: The “shelter in place” at the school has been lifted, with no additional witnesses having seen the suspect since around 11:30 a.m., and with the campus itself having been checked and cleared. Officers will stay in the area out of an abundance of caution.

— Palo Alto Police (@PaloAltoPolice) December 14, 2023

This is a developing report. Check back for updates.