Dear Chaminade Family,

I wanted to bring you up to date on a situation on our High School (West Hills) Campus this morning. At approximately 9:30 a.m., we received a phone call alerting us to the possibility of a person on our campus carrying a weapon. High School personnel followed protocol and the school was immediately placed in lockdown and the police were notified. The Topanga Division of the LAPD arrived on the scene within 5 minutes of that call and students were secured in classrooms with teachers and staff.  A thorough search of the campus was conducted and after 2 ½ hours, LAPD determined that our campus was safe. Authorities determined that a student had been mistakenly identified as an intruder. That student was not armed, no crime occurred, and at no time were any of our students in danger.

I would like to thank High School Principal Brother Tom as well as our site administrators, faculty, and staff for employing lockdown procedures and making sure that all students on campus were as safe as possible. It was gratifying to know that this lockdown was put into operation quickly and efficiently. 

Thanks also to the Topanga Division of the LAPD who were on the site so quickly and for conducting a search of the campus. The officers that responded were most professional and thorough in their handling of this situation.

I would also like to add a word of appreciation to the parent who made the phone call alerting us of a possible intruder. Even though this turned out to be a case of mistaken identity, we remain grateful that we were notified and could put emergency procedures in place. We want to continue to encourage anyone in our school community who sees something dangerous or out of the ordinary to notify us right away. It is always better to err on the side of caution than to hesitate and be too late.

Finally, I appreciate all of you for your patience, cooperation, and prayers as this situation unfolded.

God Bless,

Jim Adams
President