(UPDATE, 10:55 a.m.) The GFPD says that officers have taken a person into custody after a short chase and search.
The shelter-in-place for the schools has been lifted.
The GFPD has not released any other details. We will update you if we get more information.
(1st REPORT) CMR High School, Valley View Elementary School, and Riverview Elementary School have implemented "shelter in place" procedures.
The Great Falls Police Department said at 10:35 a.m. on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, that the move is a precaution as officers investigate "suspicious activity" in the area near the schools.
GFPS defines "shelter in place" as a safety precaution for an external threat that is not an immediate or internal threat.
The GFPD has not released any other details at this point. We will update you if we get more information.
GFPS safety procedures:
- Evacuation: Defined as an internal emergency that requires students and staff to leave the building for their safety. Parents should follow emergency notifications.
- Lockdown: Defined as an internal and/or immediate threat. All staff and students are locked in rooms. No one IN or OUT!
- Shelter In Place: Defined as a safety precaution for an external threat that is not an immediate or internal threat.
- Class Hold: Defined as a safety precaution implemented during an incident where students need to be kept in the classroom.
Release with Care: Defined as a possible threat in the schools’ neighborhoods during arrival and release time. Release with care procedures:
- To ensure safety, the building administrator may ask staff to escort students to/from buses or waiting cars.
- Staff may also be asked to accompany students home.
Student safety: walking to/from school
- Students should walk in groups or pairs
- Students should travel on a designated route, and parents should know the route their student is taking
- Students should check in with a responsible individual when they arrive at home
- Students should be taught to always be aware of their surroundings
- Students should avoid alleys on their designated route to/from school
- Students should walk on designated sidewalks and in well-lit areas
- Parents should notify the school when after-school procedures change
Click here to visit the Safety page on the GFPS website for more information.
