Monticello Elementary School was placed on lockdown Tuesday morning in Monticello after reports of a gunshot near the campus, but Monticello Chief Sterling Allen said officers found no active threat.
The incident was reported around 8:48 a.m. April 7 and prompted responses from the Monticello Police Department and the Lawrence County School District Police Department, Allen said. With assistance from the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, officers searched the area but did not locate any active threat.
The school was placed on lockdown as a precaution and has since been cleared, with normal operations resuming, Allen said. He said additional security measures and resources will be in place throughout the day as a precaution. “The safety of our children remains our highest priority,” Allen said.
The incident comes one day after an argument between groups led to a shootout in the parking lot of the Sonic in Monticello, according to local reports.
Lockdowns are a common precautionary measure that local law enforcement and school officials use to secure campuses while investigators check for threats. This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
