Southside Elementary School went on lock down briefly around school pickup time on Tuesday as a precaution after police received a report of a man near the school with a gun, according to Assistant Superintendent Jody Wiggins.
Police initially received a report of a man with a gun getting into a vehicle that was possibly headed toward the elementary school, but after investigating found the man had just purchased the gun at a local store and was headed to his home, which was located in the same area as the school, according to a release from the Siloam Springs Police Department.
The police department first received a report of a possible man with a gun in the area of the Siloam Springs Middle School at 2:41 p.m., according to Captain Derek Spicer. The man was seen getting into a silver vehicle and leaving the area traveling eastbound on Tulsa Street. Then the police department received a report that the vehicle possibly pulled into the Southside Elementary School parking lot, Spicer states in a release from the SSPD.
The male subject was never on school property, the release states.
Because the report came in around school pickup time, the school was put on lock down for a short time and the release of students was delayed, Wiggins said.
School resource officers and patrol officers quickly responded and searched the area but were unable to locate the suspect or the suspect's vehicle, the SSPD release states. A short time later, police discovered the identity of the male subject and made contact with him.
"It was determined there was no threat to students or staff. We applaud the school officials and our officers for being prudent and decisive in their thoughts and actions," the release states.
Wiggins also commended police officers for their response.
"There was never a threat to any of our children," he said. "The school went on lock down out of an abundance of caution."
General News on 04/21/2019