Gunman taken into custody at Alabama middle school, no injuries reported
Expecting a practice emergency drill, teachers and children at a middle school in Chelsea, Ala., faced a real lockdown Tuesday when a man waving a gun entered the girl’s locker room.
No injuries were reported and the suspect was taken into custody by Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies about 20 minutes after the lockdown at the middle school and a neighboring school, AL.com reported. Sheriff Chris Curry and parents commended the deputy sheriff on campus and the school’s physical education teacher for their swift actions to protect students, alert administration staff and successfully negotiate the gunman’s surrender, according to AL.com.
Charges are pending against the man described as a former student and part-time summer employee of Chelsea Middle School in his early 20s, according to the report. Officials would not identify the man.
“We have no idea of any motive or any reason for this at this point,” Sheriff Chris Curry said at an hour-long press conference at Chelsea City Hall, AL.com reports. “We are confident he was operating alone. There is nothing else involved there.”
