Four north Valley schools were on alert Wednesday as deputies searched the area for burglary suspects, Maricopa Sheriff's Office spokesman Joaquin Enriquez confirmed.
Deer Valley School District officials said Gavilan Peak Elementary and Diamond Canyon Elementary were placed on lockdown, while Anthem School and Boulder Creek High School were placed on lockout status.
"I think anybody's instinct is, ‘What's going on? What's wrong?’ And sometimes it takes you a while to find out so it's worrisome," parent Kevin Stock said.
According to the district, lockdown procedures prevent anyone from entering or leaving the building, require all classrooms to be locked with the lights out, and ensure all students are accounted for. Lockout procedures also require that no one enter or leave the campus, but students and staff can still be out of classrooms if necessary.
Shortly after 6 p.m., Chris Hegstrom with MCSO said three people was taken into custody in connection with a string of burglaries near Anthem.
The Maricopa County sheriffs office has taken into custody the third suspect in connection to this afternoon's school lockdowns in Anthem
— Ofc. Chris Hegstrom (@MCSOChris) January 28, 2016
The burglaries happened near the intersection of Daisy Mountain Road and Anthem Way early in the afternoon. Deputies spent several hours searching with both a helicopter and police dogs.
Air15 spotted students walking around and leaving campus at several of the schools, indicating that the lockdowns have been lifted. School officials confirmed shortly after 3 p.m. that all lockdowns and lockouts have been lifted.
