Wantagh High lockdown lifted after toy gun found

A lockdown at Wantagh High School caused when a teacher "overheard a student" claiming to have a gun ended Friday morning when a plastic toy gun was found inside a student's locker, Nassau County police said.

The toy, found after an extensive search by officers and school security, was a brightly colored gun and could not have been mistaken for a real weapon, police said.

Detectives determined no crime was committed, police said, and the lockdown was lifted just after 11:30 a.m.

Multiple units were dispatched to the high school after a 911 call came in at 9:12 a.m., police said.

"A teacher overheard an unknown student in a hallway saying he had a gun," a police spokesman said. "She reported it -- and, as a result, police came."

The high school and the nearby middle school, both on Beltagh Avenue, were immediately placed on lockdown, the school district said.

No weapon was actually seen, police said.

Police said the identity of the male student was not known and it was not clear if the toy gun is tied to his remark.

Wantagh Union Free School District Superintendent Maureen Goldberg said a lockdown was enacted at both schools "as a precaution."

"The lockdown at the middle school and high school has been lifted and students have resumed their regular school schedule," Goldberg said in a statement. "The police have completed a thorough search of the building, including every high school locker, and no weapon was found. As a precaution, all security protocol was activated. At no time was the safety and security of students or staff compromised. This of course continues to be our No. 1 priority."