On the morning of February 25, 2026, what began as a typical school day at Millbrook Magnet High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, quickly turned into a tense and frightening ordeal for students, staff, and families. At precisely 11:18 a.m., the school was thrust into a Code Red lockdown—the highest state of alert in the Wake County Public School System—after authorities were notified that a student was on campus with a gun.
According to Raleigh police, the tip that set off the lockdown arrived swiftly, and the response was just as rapid. The school resource officer, acting on the report, located and detained 18-year-old Malcolm McIntyre, a senior at Millbrook and a member of the school's football team. Officers discovered a loaded firearm in McIntyre's possession. Court records later identified the weapon as a Ruger P89 semi-automatic pistol.
For more than an hour, the school remained sealed off. No one was permitted to enter or leave as law enforcement swept the building and ensured that the threat was contained. At 12:05 p.m., cameras from WRAL captured the moment McIntyre, in handcuffs, was escorted by Raleigh officers to a police vehicle outside the school. By 12:40 p.m., the lockdown was lifted and the school returned to Code Green, signaling that the situation was under control and normal operations could resume.
Principal Brian Saunders addressed the incident in a message to parents, explaining that the threat was reported through the "See Something, Say Something" app—a tool designed to give students a safe and anonymous way to alert authorities to potential dangers. "The student who reported the threat is to be commended for their actions to keep everyone safe. Please make sure your high schooler is aware of this resource. We have shared it with them within their classes, and there are posters throughout the school, but I wanted you all to be aware of the app, in hopes that you too would make sure your student knows about it," Saunders stated, according to WRAL.
The swift action of the reporting student and the school resource officer was credited with preventing what could have been a far more dangerous situation. "The Raleigh Police Department takes student safety and the threat of weapons on school campuses very seriously," police said in a press release. "We will continue to work with the Wake County Public School System to investigate the incident and ensure students’ continued safety."
Malcolm McIntyre now faces a felony charge for having a gun on educational property, along with three misdemeanor charges: carrying a concealed weapon, resisting a public officer, and disorderly conduct at school. In accordance with Wake County Public School System policy and state law, McIntyre also faces a mandatory 365-day suspension from school. As the school reminded families on its website, "Any student who brings a firearm on campus faces a 365-day suspension, per state law, as well as potential criminal charges."
For students and parents, the experience was unsettling and all too real. Lincoln Benedict, a student who was off campus at lunch during the lockdown, recalled, "I started getting a lot of texts from my friends saying that they were in a Code Red Lockdown drill, except they said that the announcement never said that it was a drill. My parents were saying I need to just go home. I need to leave. I need to get out of that situation. But there was no way that I could sit at home while my friends were possibly in danger."
Senior Rylan Bass described the confusion and fear inside the building: "We've been in sculpture (class), my phone's blowing up, and then the code red goes off, and then I'm like, What's going on? And all my friends are like, some kid is like, brought a gun. It's just like really scary and worrisome because it's inside the school where everybody's learning."
Parents, too, felt the anxiety. Amy Buchan, who arrived at the school to check on her daughter, told WRAL, "When you hear something like that, you want to see your child in person to make sure they're OK." The sense of vulnerability was echoed by parent Ericka Wilcher, who remarked, "I'm just struck by the fact that this is our reality. You know, I have to go and try to figure out how safe is it really to send my daughters to school."
The incident at Millbrook Magnet High School unfolded against a backdrop of rising suspension rates in Wake County Schools. According to a recent report presented to the student achievement committee for the 2024-2025 school year, there were 7,921 students suspended and 13,473 short-term suspension occurrences—numbers that have alarmed both parents and education advocates. Surena Johnson, a parent organizer with the Education Justice Alliance, commented, "The numbers just really show that there is just proportions in student groups and suspensions and that there's disparities that's happening within the school system. That's what we see. What are we doing to really catch things in the beginning when things are starting to make sure that we're proactive in supporting students and having equity for all students within the school system."
While the Millbrook incident ended without physical harm, the psychological impact on students and families is undeniable. As Millbrook student Sebastian Heberlein put it, "It's definitely something you worry about, that you only think could happen, but won't. It's definitely a scary experience."
Interestingly, on the same day, East Garner Elementary School, also in Wake County, was placed under its own Code Red lockdown due to a reported threat. That lockdown, which began at 12:05 p.m., was lifted by 12:28 p.m., and the school returned to normal dismissal procedures. Authorities later confirmed that the two incidents were not related, but the coincidence underscored the heightened state of alert in local schools.
The events at Millbrook Magnet High School have reignited conversations about school safety, gun policies, and the importance of early intervention. The use of the "See Something, Say Something" app was widely praised, with school officials encouraging families to ensure their children are aware of the resource. At the same time, the rise in suspensions and the disparities among student groups have prompted calls for more proactive and equitable approaches to student support and discipline.
As the community reflects on the day's events, one thing is clear: the quick actions of students, staff, and law enforcement helped avert a potential tragedy. But the incident has left many grappling with difficult questions about safety, responsibility, and the realities facing today's schools.