VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Two students were detained following a lockdown Wednesday afternoon at Bayside High School, which had a large police presence due to a report of a weapon on its campus, according to a letter from the principal.

A 14-year-old girl and 15-year-old boy were detained after a knife was found, police confirmed Thursday. They are charged with possession of a weapon on school property. Police originally responded to the report of a firearm, but no firearm was found.

The letter from the school, which was sent to community members of the school Wednesday night, confirmed that all detained students will be disciplined.

Due to the lockdown, the following morning, students were asked to report directly to their 4A classrooms, where all the student’s belongings had been left from the day before. After retrieving their belongings, the students were then told to go to their normal first block class.

The letter can be read in full below:

Good evening, Bayside High School families,

I want to take a moment to thank our students, families, and staff for their patience and cooperation during today’s incident. We also want to extend our sincere appreciation to the Virginia Beach Police Department for their partnership and swift response.

Our administration received a report that a student was in possession of a weapon. Immediately, the school was placed on an internal lockdown. We were able to identify the students involved and found one of the students in possession of a knife. Thankfully, no students or staff were injured. The students involved will be disciplined in accordance with our Code of Conduct.

We are incredibly grateful to our families for their understanding and support in allowing us to conduct the investigation without issues. We also appreciate everyone’s adherence to safety protocols, which helped us handle the situation as safely and efficiently as possible.

Tomorrow morning, all students will report directly to their 4A class (where they left their belongings), where they will receive instructions on how to retrieve their belongings and transition to their first block class.

We understand this has been a stressful experience, and we appreciate everyone’s cooperation and patience. The safety of our students and staff remains our top priority, and we are committed to ensuring a secure learning environment for everyone.

Thank you for your continued support of Bayside High School.

VBCPS

The lockdown left students and parents trying to figure out what took place, as many parents were waiting outside the school to pick up their children after the lockdown was lifted.

“The parents are standing out here,” said parent Takiea Cooper. “We’re messed up mentally because our kids are in there scared.”

Students like Adriana Perez were still trying to process the situation after it happened.

“When you get the internal lockdown, you really are like, ‘Oh, this is real,'” Perez said. “So my teacher kind of froze and we all kind of freaked out and then we, like, got together … and hid in the corner.”

One student, who wishes to remain anonymous, got video of officers in a classroom during the search. While it is Virginia Beach City Public Schools policy for students to not have cellphones in the classroom, the child’s mother gave 10 On Your Side permission to use the video.

Officers were on the scene while police investigated a “potential threat”. Traffic around the school was restricted.

As of 2:20 p.m., police finished its initial search, saying no firearm had been recovered. Virginia Beach Police worked with the school on a coordinated dismissal of students.

Some parents told 10 On Your Side they want their children to have access to their devices and for there to be more safety measures in place.

“The students need their phones and everybody needs to show up to the school board meetings and that’s what’s gonna make the change that there needs to be metal detectors when these kids get on the bus and there needs to be metal detectors when these kids to these buildings,” Parent Chrissy Riggs said.

Another parents added they were using their student to get more information faster.

“I was trying to get him information on what was going on on the outside and, you know, just making sure that he was safe on the inside, which I am glad because I know there’s a lot of controversy right now about phones being in the school,” said a mother.

10 On Your Side reached out to VBCPS, it sent the its cell phone policy adopted by the school board in December 2024. It outlines when students can use person devices during an emergency:

1. All staff members have access to communication devices during instructional time and can contact the school office should emergency conditions arise. During an actual school emergency, students should follow the directions of staff who are trained in safety measures to protect students and themselves.
2. During a medical or safety emergency, students may access their stored personal communication devices to request assistance.
3. Emergencies are defined as: an immediate threat to the safety of students or staff or others at the school or school sponsored event; or a medical emergency in which an adult staff member is unable to call for assistance.

Virginia Beach City Public Schools sent the following message out to families during the initial response.

Dear Bayside High School Families,

Bayside High School is currently on internal lockdown. The Virginia Beach Police Department and the Office of Security and Emergency Management are working together to resolve the issue. Ensuring the safety of our students and staff remains our top priority. Please do not visit the school until further notice to allow school officials to address the situation. Updates will be provided, and you will be notified when the internal lockdown is lifted.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

In an updated message to families, the school system said they plan to release students in an organized manager and reiterated the investigation was due to a report of a student allegedly with a weapon.

Good afternoon, Bayside High School families,

This afternoon, we received a report of a student who allegedly had a weapon. To ensure the safety of students and staff, we immediately notified the school resource officer and placed the school on internal lockdown. Thanks to the partnership between the Virginia Beach Police Department, the school administration, and the security team, we secured the building. 

As we dismiss students, we will be releasing them by hallway, allowing them to cross the property to find their transportation. Staff members will be present to assist with this process. Additionally, please be aware that buses will have a delay as we slowly and safely dismiss students.

We appreciate the patience of our parents and community as we followed protocols to release students to their families. I appreciate your support of Bayside High School.