Updated 4:17 p.m.–
Sentinel staff report– Citrus Heights police said Sylvan Middle School was locked down Wednesday morning after reports were made of gunshots heard near the school, although the reports were later determined to be “unfounded.”

In a posting at 10:36 a.m. on social media, the police department said the school had been locked down as a precautionary measure and that officers were on scene investigating. About 10 minutes later, the department said it appeared the reports were “unfounded” and said the lockdown had been lifted.

Police Lieutenant Dave Gutierrez later told The Sentinel that a school resource officer at Mesa Verde High School had “heard what sounded like gunshots” coming from an area near Sylvan Middle School, which is located several blocks to the south of the high school. He said several other residents also reported hearing something similar to gunshots.

The lockdown of the campus lasted approximately 20-30 minutes while police cleared the campus, Gutierrez said. An extensive canvass of the area was also conducted, which involved a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department helicopter…

Citrus Heights police said a 16-year-old student was arrested at San Juan High School on Wednesday after officers found a loaded handgun and marijuana in his backpack.

In a news release issued Thursday morning, police said an anonymous tip about the student possibly being in possession of a weapon led school resource officers to locate the student and search his backpack, yielding a handgun and “suspected marijuana packaged for sale.” Police said the student is a Citrus Heights resident but did not release his name or picture due to his age…