Employee leads 12-hour police standoff at Olive Middle School in Baldwin Park

Students to return to school after standoff

Administrators say classes will resume on campus Monday, May 5.

LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - A school staff member was involved in a standoff with police that lasted for nearly 12 hours in Baldwin Park, forcing middle school students and their teachers to evacuate on Thursday.

What we know:

Baldwin Park Police were dispatched to the school around 9:45 a.m. to investigate an "incident."

According to police, a female employee was causing a "disturbance" at the main office. When police arrived, she closed the door and barricaded herself inside one of the rooms.

The woman, who is reportedly a disgruntled staff member, was alone, and no weapons were involved, police confirmed to FOX 11. 

Images from SkyFOX over the school showed multiple patrol vehicles, at least one ambulance, and several law enforcement officers across the campus.

School staff in Baldwin Park locks herself in room

A school staff drew heavy police presence after she locked herself inside a room at Olive Middle School.

Olive Middle School in Baldwin Park evacuated

Olive Middle School in Baldwin Park was evacuated Thursday morning, prompting a large police presence on campus.

A large crowd of students was seated on the lawn, while parents were seen gathering in the front of the school and speaking with school officials.

The campus commotion prompted the school to let the students go home to their parents early on Thursday. Classes at Olive Middle School were also canceled for Friday, May 2, according to the Baldwin Park Unified School District.

The standoff eventually ended on Thursday night as the school staff member was taken to the hospital.

What we don't know:

Neither Baldwin Park Unified School District nor Olive Middle School have released the identity of the school staff involved in the hours-long standoff. Parents and students who spoke with FOX 11 said the staff member in question was a teacher.

What they're saying:

One of the Olive Middle School students told FOX 11's Cristy Fajardo that the staff member involved in the standoff might have been her third-period teacher. The student said the teacher had been posting concerning messages on her social media account.

Another student, who spoke with FOX 11's Hailey Winslow after he was ordered to evacuate from class, recalled the tense moments when he realized the campus-wide emergency.

"l thought there was like an active shooter or something," the middle-school student said. "I was trying to get to my class real quick."

What's next:

In a statement, officials said classes will resume at Olive Middle School on Monday, May 5, pending full campus clearance. The school will follow a special bell schedule that morning.

Mental health support services will be available for both students and staff upon returning to campus, and additional District personnel will be on site to assist with the transition and provide care as needed.