Roseland Schools Locked Down After Cane Mistaken for Rifle

By Bay City News Service

A mistaken report of someone walking around with a rifle prompted a lockdown at five schools in Roseland this morning, a school district official said.

As school bells rang around 8:25 a.m., law enforcement officers informed the Roseland School District of a report of a person with a rifle, Superintendent Gail Andrade Ahlas said.

About 30 minutes later, police called back to say that the person described in the report was located and was found to be carrying a cane and not a firearm, Ahlas said.

During that half-hour, the entire school district -- three elementary schools, a middle school and a high school in a 2-square-mile area -- was on lockdown as a precaution.

"Any time we perceive any danger in the neighborhood, we do not second-guess it," the superintendent said. "I'm just thankful for our teaching staff and how well they handled the circumstances with the recent news."

She said many parents of students at the affected campuses also took part in the lockdown and were "pretty calm but definitely nervous."

Some parents at one school hugged after the lockdown ended, Ahlas said. "It was very heartwarming," she said.
       
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