JMS briefly locked down as police search area for person with handgun

Jefferson Middle School was briefly locked down early Thursday afternoon as police searched for a person armed with a handgun at a nearby business.

The Oak Ridge Police Department began searching for the person at about 12:30 p.m. Thursday after receiving information that the individual, who is not identified in a press release, had just left the Clinton area and might be on the way to the west end of Oak Ridge.

“Oak Ridge police personnel from the Patrol, Criminal Investigations, and Administration divisions immediately deployed throughout the city to locate the individual, and at approximately 12:52 p.m., information was received that the individual may have been in a vehicle in the Home Depot parking lot in Oak Ridge,” an ORPD press release said. “Oak Ridge police unmarked units identified a vehicle matching the description of the individual’s vehicle in the parking lot and requested the Jefferson Middle School initiate a lockdown, as it was nearby.

“After the vehicle departed the parking lot and unmarked units verified the vehicle’s license plate did not match information received, the lockdown at Jefferson Middle School was lifted,” the release said. “At approximately 1 p.m., information was developed that the individual was possibly at the Anderson Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Marlow. At approximately 1:08 p.m., the individual, who was armed with a handgun, was located and detained by Anderson County Sheriff’s Office personnel and transported to the Methodist Memorial Center. This investigation remains ongoing, and no further information will be released at this time.”

Parents reported receiving calls about the lockdown from JMS. Oak Ridge Schools said the lockdown, which keeps children and adults in place, didn’t last long.

“It was very short,” the school system said. “At no time were any children in any danger.”

More information will be added as it becomes available.