(Updated) Schools on lockdown

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Schools in the area of Olivet Road were put on lockdown until about 10:25 a.m. Thursday after the report of an armed robbery in the area, according to a press release from Calvert County public schools.

Police were searching for the suspect at press time Thursday.

According to the Calvert County Sheriff's Office, an unknown black male wearing a heavy coat and a red bandana over his face approached a woman on Joy Lee Road at gunpoint and fled on foot in an unknown direction shortly before 9 a.m. Thursday morning.

It was unknown at press time if he made off with any property. Police were on the scene attempting to locate the suspect.

According to Calvert County Public Schools spokeswoman Gail Bennett all schools in the southern area of the county were on lock down though there was believed to be no immediate danger to students or staff.

Bennett said that these schools included Appeal, Dowell and Patuxent elementary schools, Mill Creek and Southern middle schools and Patuxent High School.

"[The lockdowns are] the advice of the state police … it is our understanding that the suspect was on foot so it's a precautionary measure," said Bennett, who explained that the six schools would remain on lockdown "until law enforcement advises us otherwise."

Despite the circumstances, Bennett said that things were "absolutely" business as usual at the schools and that parents would be allowed into the building if they needed to pick a student up early.

"We're just monitoring who enters the building," Bennett said.

By 10:25 a.m., school operations had returned to normal, according to an e-mail sent out to parents, and transportation was ready to run on a normal schedule.

When contacted, individual schools would not comment and deferred to the Calvert County Board of Education.

lbuck@somdnews.com charvat@somdnews.com