Staff and pupils at an Auckland school have been given the all-clear to go home after police arrested an armed man in the western suburb of Blockhouse Bay.
The armed 46-year-old Henderson man was seen near Blockhouse Bay School around 2.30pm.
Armed police were called, along with the police Eagle helicopter.
Staff and pupils were locked down for about two hours at the school, while police searched for the gunman.
Police told everyone at the school they could go home just before 5pm.
Principal Neil Robinson told NZPA police came to the school around 2.50pm and told staff they needed to go into lockdown.
"There was a man of concern in the area and they didn't want to release the children out in that environment," Mr Robinson said.
The teachers and children knew what to do as they had done lots of lockdown drills before, he said.
The children were in good spirits and were not frightened by the high police presence.
"They were singing songs and doing activities. Some of the little ones didn't realise it was after 3pm.
"The teachers did a really good job of keeping them busy. I reassured them too that the police were doing a good job of keeping them safe," Mr Robinson said.
Around 150 parents who gathered on pick-up time at the school were moved into the staff room, while a number waited behind a cordon outside the school.
It was understood that the gunman was one of group who left the Henderson Valley, west Auckland, after an earlier incident.
Some of Henderson Valley was blocked off, but police were unable to confirm the details.
