Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion  An officer from the Kenai Police Department talks to a woman as she enters Kenai Central High School on Tuesday April 14, 2015 in Kenai, Alaska. Officers responded to the school after a student received a threatening text and the school was put into lockdown mode.

Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion An officer from the Kenai Police Department talks to a woman as she enters Kenai Central High School on Tuesday April 14, 2015 in Kenai, Alaska. Officers responded to the school after a student received a threatening text and the school was put into lockdown mode.

KCHS put on lockdown

  • By IAN FOLEY
  • Tuesday, April 14, 2015 2:30pm
  • News

Editors Note: This story has been edited to reflect that the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District was the organization responsible for the new lockdown protocol. 

A 15-year-old student was arrested at his home in Kenai after police said he sent a threatening text message that included the threat of a gun, to students at Kenai Central High School

Kenai Central High School was on lockdown for less than an hour Tuesday, as were Kenai Middle School, Kenai Alternative School and Aurora Borealis charter school

Nobody was injured, and the police “removed the threat,” said Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Assistant Superintendent Dave Jones.

According to a press release from the Kenai Police Department, “Investigation revealed that a student at KCHS received texts from another male student of KCHS, telling him to leave the school, warning of an imminent threat, and including a depiction of a gun.”

Staff at the school became aware of the threat and alerted Alex Prins, the Kenai Police Department resource officer, who was present at the time, according to the release. Officers from the Kenai Police Department then responded to the threat.

The lockdown started around 12:21 p.m. and lasted until approximately 1 p.m. Police arrested the suspect at about 12:40 p.m.

 

“No firearms were located at the residence and a guardian confirmed there were no firearms at the residence,” according to the release. The name of the suspect is being withheld as he is a juvenile.

The suspect was taken to Kenai Peninsula Youth Facility for terroristic threatening in the second degree. It is a class C felony which typically carries a maximum of 5-years in prison and up to $50,000 in fines.

Jones said that the lockdown was successful.

“I think everyone did their job,” he said. “The police did their job. The teachers did their job. The students did their job.”

Kenai Central High School Principal Alan Fields said that school resumed normal activity. After school-activities would were held at the normally scheduled times. He said that parents had been notified of the event through an automated calling system.

Fields said that the new lockdown protocol, which the school district has implemented this year, worked well. He said that in the past, lockdowns were initiated by a special code word announced over the intercom. However, some students and staff would forget what the code word meant, he said.

The new notification system alerts students and staff of a threat directly via intercom. During a lockdown, students are kept inside the classrooms with the doors locked and the blinds on the windows drawn.

“We try to keep kids out of sight,” Fields said, speaking to the Clarion.

Students remain on lockdown until the situation is under control. Fields said the school has lockdown drills a few times every year in order to prepare everyone for threats.

Other safety measures utilized by the school include having a resource officer on hand, which Kenai has had for nearly 10 years, Fields said.

“I’m really proud of our kids and staff, and the Kenai Police department response,” Fields said in post on the school district’s Facebook page. “Everyone did a great job.”

 

Peninsula Clarion reporters Rashah McChesney and Ben Boettger contributed to this story

More in News

Vice President Kelly Cooper speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Borough considers seasonal sales tax rate

Borough sales tax would be modified from a flat 3% to a seasonal model of 4% in summer months and 2% in winter months.

The Kasilof River is seen from the Kasilof River Recreation Area, July 30, 2019, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
King salmon fishing on Kasilof to close Thursday

If any king salmon is caught while fishing for other species, they may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

Un’a, a female sea otter pup who was admitted to the Alaska SeaLife Center in June 2025, plays with an enrichment toy at the center in Seward, Alaska. Photo courtesy of the Alaska SeaLife Center
SeaLife Center admits 2 seal pups, 1 orphaned otter

The three pups join the Alaska SeaLife Center’s ‘growing’ patient list.

James Wardlow demonstrates flilleting a salmon with an ulu during a smoked salmon demonstration, part of Fish Week 2023, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Refuge to celebrate all things fish during weeklong event

Fish Week will take place July 16-19.

President Zen Kelly speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, July 7, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
School board finalizes budget with deep cuts to programming, classrooms

Multiple members of the board said they were frustrated by the state’s failure to fund education.

Former KPBSD Finance Director Liz Hayes speaks during a Kenai Peninsula Borough School District budget development meeting at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
School district finance department earns national awards

The two awards are based on comprehensive reviews of the district’s budget and financial reporting.

Children leap forward to grab candy during a Fourth of July parade on South Willow Street in Kenai, Alaska, on July 4, 2025. (Photo courtesy Sarah Every)
Celebrating the 4th in the streets

Kenai comes out for annual Independence Day parade.

Fire crews respond to the Bruce Fire, July 4, 2025, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Alaska Division of Forestry)
Firefighting crews respond to wildfire outside Soldotna

The 8-acre fire and two “spot fires” of less than one acre each are located near Mile 102 and 103 of the Sterling Highway.

Most Read