East Central High School locked down after student threatens himself, school

A 17-year-old student is undergoing evaluation after deputies picked him up at a friend’s house after allegedly threatening to shoot himself, his parents, and students at East Central High School.

Sheriff John Ledbetter says the boy ran away Monday night, January 22, and never returned home.

His mother called the school Tuesday morning to let administrators know about the threats. The sheriff says the teen never showed up on campus, but the school was put on lock down as a precaution.

The Jackson County School District released a statement regarding the incident: “At approximately 8 am this morning the administration at East Central High School was informed of a situation involving a student in the East Central Attendance Area.  According to local law enforcement, the student made threats to himself and others. Additionally, the student’s whereabouts were unknown at the beginning of the school day.”

“In an abundance of caution, all schools in the East Central Attendance Area were placed on “shelter in place” until the situation was resolved. Shelter in place means that all students and employees are asked to remain in their classrooms and traffic is limited on campus. In order to ensure everyone’s safety, entry and exit from the buildings is restricted.”

“As of 10 am, local law enforcement informed the Jackson County School District the subject student was in custody.  We have now resumed a normal schedule at all schools in the East Central Attendance area.”

“The safety and well-being of our students and staff is the top priority for the Jackson County School District. We will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of our school community.”