Hawai‘i Island police respond to Konawaena High School after threatening call made to campus

More than a dozen officers responded to Konawaena High School after the campus was placed on lockdown Thursday morning.

Assistant Chief Rio Amon Wilkins for Hawai‘i Police Department’s Area II operations said police received a call from the school, located at  81-1043 Konawaena School Rd. in Kealakekua, a little after 8 a.m., about the threatening call, and the campus was immediately put under lockdown.

Wilkins didn’t disclose the nature of the threatening call. He said the officers who responded to the school canvassed the campus and didn’t observe anything suspicious.

The Hawai‘i Department of Education confirmed the Big Island school received a threatening call and placed the school on lockdown.  

“School administration is working closely with law enforcement as the situation is investigated,” according to an email from the Department of Education.

Wilkins said officers cleared the school at 9:45 a.m. and the lockdown was lifted.

The Area II Juvenile Aid Section is continuing this investigation, including the identity of the caller. Police ask that anyone with information regarding this incident to contact Lt. Brandon Mansur at (808) 326-4646, ext. 3230. 

Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous may call the Crime Stoppers number at (808) 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. Crime Stoppers is a volunteer program run by ordinary citizens who want to keep their community safe.

More information will be provided as it becomes available.