A press conference has been announced for 1 p.m. this afternoon by officials at the site of the Leonardtown lockdown. A video of the earlier press release is shown below.
Parents and worried relatives on the scene hope it will reveal more information about the situation inside the schools, particularly Leonardtown High School. So far police have released sparse information.
According to police and school officials at the scene the lockdowns began after a grandmother and a student witnesses a boy at the nearby Fast Stop placing a gun in his backpack and heading towards the schools. The witnesses couldn’t tell what kind of gun the boy had, and it may even have been a toy one. However, after several hours police from three counties are on the scene with HAZMAT and SWAT teams and there is no indication that there is any reduced threat.
The high schools in the area – Leonardtown High and the Forrest Career and Technology Center – are on secure lockdown, with no movement inside the buildings. Leonardtown Middle School is operating under a modified lockdown, which means that the outside doors are locked but students are able to move inside.
School officials report that students will be dismissed from Leonardtown High School, Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center, and the Alternative Learning Center at 1:15 p.m. today. Leonardtown Middle School will dismiss at 2:05 p.m. today, which is their normal time. Buses will begin their return routes at that time.
Local politicians such as Senator Roy Dyson, and County Commissioner President Tommy McKay are on hand and will be addressing the crowds shortly. Also present are Sheriff Zylak and representatives from The Board of Education.
