Off-Duty Officer With Handgun Prompts Concern At Agoura High

AGOURA HILLS, CA — An off-duty FBI agent with a handgun caused undue concern at Agoura High School Tuesday morning, authorities said.

A parent called 911 to report an adult man with a handgun in front of Agoura High around 8 a.m. Tuesday, authorities said. The man turned out to be an off-duty law enforcement officer on campus for a presentation, authorities said. Lost Hills Sheriff's Deputies arrived "within minutes" and determined the campus was safe.

The agent was placing his firearm in his car before a presentation about forensics, according to Kim Patterson, Director of Secondary Education for the Las Virgenes Unified School District. It is not uncommon for law enforcement to visit the schools' forensics classes, Patterson said.

"The community member witnessed an FBI agent placing his armament safely in his vehicle and was unaware that FBI agents were on campus this morning for a presentation to our Forensics classes ," Patterson said.

Although it unfortunately caused some alarm, Lost Hills Captain Jennifer Seetoo said Tuesday's incident is a great example of everyone doing the right thing, including the parent who called in, the school's response and law enforcement's swift arrival.

"Thank God everyone responded how they were trained to respond," Seetoo said. "That's how it's supposed to go."

Patterson emphasized Seetoo's appreciation for everyone's proactive action.

"We appreciate the community member’s report as well as the rapid response from Lost Hills," Patterson said. "We appreciate our community members and the Sheriff's department for keeping our school safe."