(This story was updated to add new information.)
A report of a man carrying a gun near an elementary school in Salton City on Thursday, Aug. 20, prompted a law enforcement response that included the U.S. Border Patrol, though authorities later said there was no known threat.
Although the presence of immigration enforcement officers prompted discussion and concern in social media discussions, county officials said they were not there for any immigration enforcement.
The Imperial County Sheriff’s Office said deputies requested Border Patrol because it is the closest law enforcement agency deployed near Salton City and could quickly provide additional officers during an emergency.
The sheriff’s office provides law enforcement across roughly 4,500 square miles, Chief Deputy Clint Erro said in an email, and often seeks help from other agencies in Salton City and other isolated communities when an emergency requires several officers at once.
In those situations, Erro said, the additional personnel provide a “quick response force multiplier.”
The sheriff’s office said it received a report around 6:55 a.m. Thursday of a man walking with a firearm near Dalton Drive and South Marina Drive, near Sea View Elementary School, and immediately requested assistance from Border Patrol to “ensure the safety of the community,” the department said in a news release.
Sea View Elementary and West Shores High, less than 2 miles apart, were both placed on lockdown “out of an abundance of caution,” while deputies investigated. The two campuses are Coachella Valley Unified School District’s only schools in Imperial County.
While the schools were locked down — a safety measure that typically involves securing doors, closing blinds and keeping students away from windows and doors — deputies conducted “extensive searches” and found no known threat to either school or the surrounding community, the sheriff’s office said. It was not immediately clear how long the lockdowns lasted.
It was the second day of the 2026-27 school year, though classes had not yet begun for the day at Sea View Elementary or West Shores High, which serves grades 7-12.
CVUSD has not had law enforcement, known as school resource officers, stationed at its middle or high schools since 2018, unlike the two neighboring K-12 districts across the Coachella Valley.
Jennifer Cortez covers education and breaking news in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: No threat found after man with gun reported near Salton City schools
Reporting by Jennifer Cortez, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jennifer Cortez, Palm Springs Desert Sun | USA TODAY Network
