UPDATE: No Gunman Found, Kids Released from East Avenue School

UPDATE 7:15 p.m. Students who were locked in a classroom at  have been released and reunited with their parents, officials said.

The school this afternoon was on lockdown by as they investigated a report of a man with a rifle on campus, Sgt. John Hurd said. A gunman was not found and the campus was cleared at around 7 p.m.

At around 4:30 p.m. police received a report of a man with a rifle walking through the campus halls. Police immediately responded to the area and placed the school on lockdown.

Officers during the investigation blocked off the area and were able to make contact with students and school staff who were still on campus.

An estimated 16 to 17 students enrolled in an after-school program and a "handful" of school staff were on campus at the time of the investigation, Hurd said.

Sue Frieders' daughter is one of the students who was inside the campus. Frieder was able to keep in contact with her daughter by phone.

"Everything seems to be calm and fine," Frieders said at the time of investigation. "She was more worried about the parents outside the school."

Pleasanton Police and the California Highway Patrol were also on scene to assist LPD.

Police are in contact with the person who called in the report of the armed man on campus.

Superintendent Kelly Bowers released the following statement:

The Livermore police received an anonymous phone call reporting someone with a weapon on or near the East Avenue Middle School campus, and have placed the school campus on lockdown as a safety precaution. The majority of staff and students are already gone, but the extended daycare students and administrative office staff are following lockdown safety procedures.

Message released to district households:

This is Kelly Bowers, Superintendent of the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District, with important information regarding a lockdown at East Avenue Middle School earlier this afternoon. At approximately 4:15 there was a reported sighting of a man with a weapon on or near the vicinity of East Avenue. There were a few students and staff members on campus and lockdown procedures were immediately implemented as a precaution. A multi-agency police response was initiated until it is determined that the there is no longer any potential threat.

I am personally on site with the chief of police and want to assure you that our students are safe but we will not release the lockdown until we are 100% confident that there is no longer any potential threat. The Livermore School district works closely with the police department because the safety of our students is of paramount importance.

Livermore Patch is at the scene and will update this story as more information is made available.