Elsternwick Primary School locks down as police hunt for teens reportedly armed with weapons
An Elsternwick school was forced to go into lockdown with parents alerted by an app not to go to the school after fears youths were in the area armed with machetes.
A primary school in Melbourne’s southeast was forced into lockdown after reports of youths roaming the area with machetes with one teen arrested.
Elsternwick Primary School alerted parents via school app Compass that the school was forced into lockdown at 2pm on Wednesday, citing reports of “youths nearby”.
“School is currently in a lockdown due to reports of youths in the local area. Police have been notified,” the school wrote.
“All students have been accounted for, please do not attend school until advised.
“Everyone is safe and no intruders have been reported on school site.”
Police confirmed they were called to Brighton about 2pm on Wednesday following reports two males were possibly armed with machetes.
Officers located two boys on the corner of Martin and Cochrane St with a baton.
One of the teens was arrested for possessing a controlled weapon (a baton) and possessing a drug of dependence.
He is expected to be interviewed.
The second boy was released without charge.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said no machetes were found.
Parent Kelly Meichan received the notification on Tuesday afternoon that her daughter was put into lockdown.
“Two o’clock in the afternoon, our children aren’t even safe at schools,” Ms Meichan said.
“It was bit scary too when I got that email from the school, it basically just said ‘lock down’, like oh my god are you serious,” her partner said.
“The government is not prioritising the crimes that are happening here, and it’s just scary,” she said.
The school was placed into lockdown as a precaution and it is not believed the youths entered the grounds.
The campus has since reopened.