Police in Whangarei are looking for a man and woman who were the focus of an Armed Offenders Squad callout on Wednesday.
A house in Mahana Place in the suburb of Raumanga was cordoned off after reports of a violent incident there about 12.30pm.
Police ordered the neighbouring HoraHora Primary school into lockdown mode on suspicion that there were firearms in the house and the school was within range of a rifle shot.
Officers entered the house after 2pm, but found the couple gone. A spokesperson says it is not known if the man is armed.
Principal Pat Newman said in spite of the risk at the time, two parents who turned up to collect their children insisted on taking them.
"Even though you tell them it's locked down and why, they still insist on taking the child. We need to check on a few things like the legality, do we have the authority to keep the child on the grounds in those cases, or what," he said.
