Bayfield High School was briefly on a hold-in-place protocol Thursday morning amid a report of a “gunshot in the neighborhood,” but there turned out to be no threat.

Bayfield police cleared the area in less than an hour, and the hold-in-place was lifted shortly after 9:30 a.m. Classes continued without interruption.

“They responded very quickly. We had (District Superintendent Leon Hanhardt), Assistant Superintendent (Bill Hesford) on site at the building to make sure everything went as it was supposed to,” Bayfield School District spokesman Bob Bonnar said. “We didn’t really have to interrupt the learning day. Teachers and students were able to just continue doing what they did in their classrooms.”

Bayfield Police Chief Michael Hoguet said a gunshot was reportedly heard off campus just south of the BHS campus, but an investigation yielded nothing.

“We did a thorough investigation of the area and made contact with several people who were outside at the time, and the report was unfounded,” Hoguet said, adding those people did not hear or see anything to substantiate the claim.

He said the group was merely doing work outside or were just out and about at the time of the reported gunshot, but told police they did not hear the sound of a gunshot or any other loud noise in the area.

Bonnar said the school did not have to lock down, rather, it just waited for police to give the school the “all clear.”

“We just wanted to take the proper precautions, ensure everybody’s safety,” he said.

mhollinshead@durangoherald.com