Suspects run into Fort Worth's Polytechnic High School, prompt lockdown

FORT WORTH, Texas - Fort Worth police arrested two teens, who were also robbery suspects, after they ran into Fort Worth’s Polytechnic High School on Tuesday morning.

Detectives say the teens attended school at Polytechnic HS and tried to rob someone nearby. That person called police and the teens ran, getting into the school. But the school district says the building was quickly locked down, which included locking all classroom doors.

Police say they were able to find the teens because they could not get into any class rooms. A total of three teens were involved, but only two were arrested. The third was detained and then released by police.

Fort Worth Independent School District officials said no one was hurt and no one inside the school was ever threatened, but the school was temporarily placed on lockdown midday Tuesday.

“Here we have three individuals who as I understand it were being chased by police, so police were all over that school in a very short time,” said FWISD spokesman Clint Bond.

The school district says it’s looking into exactly how the suspects got into the school two hours after classes began -- one with a gun in his backpack. This is the first year Fort Worth ISD high schools are using a system that controls access to the campuses.

“During classes the doors should be locked. Someone wants to come into the school hits the buzzer, there’s a camera, there are people in the office see who it is and if it looks appropriate to let them in they let them in,” Bond said.

Even though they got into the building, the teens were unable get into any of the classrooms.

“Our lockdown went really well. These people were locked out of the classrooms,” Bond said.

Students inside described preexisting procedures going into place during the lockdown.

“Everybody shutoff the lights, covered the window and everybody gets under the desk and stays quiet,” said student Shelton Wilson.

Some worried parents got the news from their kids while it was happening. Diana Cabello rushed to the school after the texts from her daughter.

“Just to know she’s communicating with me gives me some comfort. She’s on the fourth floor, all this is happening on the first floor, but you never know,” Cabello said.

Even though no one was hurt, the incident put families on edge.

“I think we should protect our children, it’s our job, it’s the police’s job, the school has to be responsible for these kids while they’re there,” said grandmother Pamela Wilson.