West Roxbury school rushed students inside and locked its doors after gunfire nearby

The Ohrenberger School on West Boundary Road went into "safe mode" this afternoon after somebody began firing a gun nearby.

Students who were outside were escorted into the building and the school locked its doors to keep but otherwise went about as normal a school day as one can have under such circumstances. In e-mail to parents, Principal Terence Johnson wrote:

Dear Ohrenberger School Families,

I am writing to you today to inform you of an incident that took place. This afternoon, shots were fired on a street near our school building. Students who were outside were immediately escorted into the building.

Once all students were inside, school staff immediately placed our school into “Safe Mode” and Boston Police responded quickly to the matter.

“Safe Mode” is a safety protocol that Boston Public Schools use when students are in close proximity to unsafe situations, both on the school campus or in the neighborhood. Schools are required to keep students and staff in the school building while the safety team responds.

Please know that we take student and staff safety and security very seriously. ...

Sincerely,

Terrence Johnson

Principal