Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies respond to a reported active shooter call at Christopher Columbus High School on 87th Avenue on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Miami. Authorities said the call was a false alarm that prompted a lockdown at the school, and officials reported that everyone was safe.
Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies and other police swarmed Christopher Columbus High School Wednesday morning after reports of an active shooter on campus, leading the school to go into lockdown, officials said.
“The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office immediately responded to Columbus High School regarding a report of a potential armed subject on campus.” the department said in a statement on X.
The sheriff’s office Wednesday there were no reported injuries and it wasn’t an active shooter call. An officer at the scene told a Miami Herald reporter the incident was being investigated as a possible “swatting” call. Police with long guns walked around the school’s perimeter.
Parents and others rushed to the school, pressed against a chain link fence surrounding the school at 3000 SW 87th Ave., many with phones to their ears.
Julio Mendoza said he was in a meeting when his daughter’s mother called with the news. “I stood up and ran out, without saying anything,” he said. He rushed to St. Brendan’s from Miami Gardens, one of the longest 30-minute drives of his life. His daughter, an 18-year-old senior, had been eating lunch outside when she was ordered into lockdown, he said. “She was crying. All the kids are really scared,” Mendoza said of the phone call he just had with her.
Daniel Orona’s seventh-grade son was on a tour of a nearby school, St. Brendan, on Wednesday. He came in from St. Louis on a field trip to tour the high school. “I have no idea what’s going on,” Orona said, “but I’m not leaving my kid in there.”
Southwest 87th Avenue was backed up as sheriff’s deputies and other police officers sped past those trying to get to the school.
Miami Herald staff writer David Goodhue contributed to this report.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
This story was originally published February 4, 2026 at 11:39 AM.
Milena Malaver
Miami Herald
Milena Malaver covers crime and breaking news for the Miami Herald. She was born and raised in Miami-Dade and is a graduate of Florida International University. She joined the Herald shortly after graduating.
