Geelong school locked down as police investigate reports of an armed man

A man has been arrested and students allowed to return to class after a school was earlier sent into lockdown over reports of an armed man nearby.

Christ the King Catholic School in Newcomb was sent into lockdown. Picture: Google

Students have been allowed to return to a Victorian school after it was earlier sent into lockdown as police searched for an armed man.

Police swarmed the Geelong suburb of Newcomb on Thursday morning after receiving reports of an armed offender in Helms Street.

Christ the King Catholic School told parents it had been informed of a “serious, ongoing incident close to the school”, the Geelong Advertiser reported.

The newspaper reported parents were informed the school would be in lockdown until the wanted person was arrested.

“The man involved has not be (sic) caught and there are concerns that he may be carrying a firearm,” the message read.

“So I am suggesting that you put off on bringing your child to school, as this will assist police as well, with less traffic around the area.”

A man was arrested after an incident in the Geelong suburb of Newcomb that sent a local school into lockdown on Wednesday. Picture: Facebook

Police arrested a 32-year-old man after officers, including critical incident response teams, responded to an incident on Helms Street just after 7.30am.

Sergeant Madeline Gillard said the parties involved in the incident were known to each other.

“The public can be reassured there is no risk to the community and residents can go about their business as usual,” she said.

Parents said children had since been allowed to return to school.

Earlier, police warned people to stay indoors and avoid the area.

The police helicopter was also spotted circling the area.

It comes after another school in the state’s northwest was sent into lockdown on Wednesday due to an alleged bomb threat.

Police conducted safety checks at Swan Hill Primary School on Wednesday.

Swan Hill Primary School students and teachers were force to evacuate to the oval during thunderstorms and heavy rain as police searched the campus to make sure it was safe.

Police said they were called to the Gray Street school to conduct safety checks before it was declared safe a short time later.

A Swan Hill woman, 32, was arrested nearby and was charged with five counts of making a bomb hoax.

The charges relate to alleged hoax threats made on social media towards businesses and schools in the Swan Hill area over the past week.

The woman was remanded to face Swan Hill Magistrates’ Court.

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