Lithonia High School was placed under its strictest lockdown Tuesday morning after a student allegedly pulled a gun on another student on campus, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Just after 8:15 a.m., the school was placed on a Level 3 lockdown, which means all classroom doors are locked and closed, Channel 2 reported. The lockdown was lifted before 10 a.m.
The DeKalb County School District confirmed to AJC.com that a student was taken into custody and a weapon was recovered. Channel 2 reported the student was found with the gun on him. It’s unclear whether the weapon was loaded.
“No students, staff or community members were harmed,” the school district said in a statement. “The school has resumed its normal schedule. Out of an abundance of caution, additional officers will remain on-site for the remainder of the day.”
The lockdown brought parents like Andrea Harris to the campus. Her daughter, a senior at Lithonia High, texted her Tuesday morning to tell her the school was on lockdown.
“I've been in communication with her since then,” Harris told AJC.com. “Her and her teachers and some of her classmates are down in a corner on the floor of a classroom.”
While Harris said the school has been on lockdown before, this is the first time her daughter let her know she was afraid.
“It’s just scary because you can’t send your kids to church, you can’t send them to Walmart, school,” she said. “I mean, there’s nowhere safe for them. It’s kind of scary out here now.”
She planned to take her daughter home for the day.
DeKalb County school lockdowns are based on three levels, with Level 3 being the most strict. Level 1 lockdowns include all exterior doors to the building being locked, while Level 2 lockdowns mean all classroom doors should be secured.
In addition to locking all classroom doors, Level 3 lockdowns include teachers instructing students to move away from windows and doors. The blinds on exterior windows are also supposed to be opened, allowing visibility into the classroom.
MORE: Safety fear gives school days new feature: Lockdowns
Channel 2 reported that Level 3 lockdowns typically mean there’s a threat involving a weapon either inside or nearby the school, while Level 2 lockdowns are usually issued for fights on campus.
The district doesn’t have metal detectors at its schools’ entrances, but Channel 2 reported it’s “considering putting metal detectors in schools across the county” after this incident.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
No further information was released about the student in custody. It is unclear if the student will face charges.
Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM
