FBI To Aid In Tyrone Lockdown Situation

Students, school personnel and parents were put on edge Friday when the school was put in lock down mode.
Tyrone Superintendent Josh Bell alerted area news media at about 2:50 Friday afternoon of the situation, stating that “kids were safe in the building, but a threat had been made.”
Tyrone Chief of Police Jerry Schroeder said officers were on scene at the school from 2:30 until 6 p.m.
Schroeder said one phone call was all it took for back up to arrive.
“I made one call and everyone started showing up,” Schroeder said. “We had authorities here from the Texas County Sheriff’s Department, Seward County Kansas Sheriff’s Department and the Hooker Police Department. Everything went pretty smoothly.”
Authorities at the scene immediately set up a perimeter around the school and shortly after began delivering students to their parents.
Schroeder was very pleased with how school authorities handled the situation.
“The school did an excellent job on the lock down,” he said.
Schroeder was waiting Monday for the arrival of an agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“It is still under investigation,” he said. “Everything will be turned over to the FBI. I am waiting on an agent to get here to go over some stuff with him.”
Bell told the media on Friday “someone had called the school and made a threat toward (him) and the school secretary to who answered the call.”
Schroeder confirmed that the caller had, “threatened bodily harm to individuals at the school.”
The lock down was lifted from the school around 5:55 p.m., Friday.
“All of the kids were evacuated safely and were gone by a little after five on Friday,” Schroeder said.
Bell had also told media that the students as well as faculty had been released safely, including those at 6 p.m., on an activity bus who were returning from a track meet.
Those on the bus as well as others during the lock down were evacuated from the rear of the building under police protection with authorities releasing students to their parents.
Schroeder was pleased with the assistance given by local and area media during the lock down.
“The media did an excellent job letting the parents and everyone know what was going on,” he said.
The three and a half hour ordeal is being taken very seriously by authorities.
“We do not have anyone in custody as yet, but we have a suspect in mind. I am waiting to discuss that with the FBI agent when he arrives and we will go from there,” Schroeder said. “By mid week we should have everything wrapped up.”
According to Schroeder, “modern technology is helping a lot” in the investigation.
“There is no immediate threat here now,” he added.
Schroeder has been with the Tyrone Police Department since 1993, serving as chief since 1999.