Schools on lockdown in St. Marys County after gun incident

[Zguy28]

http://www.thebaynet.com/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=news.viewStory&story_ID=2363

http://www.nbc4.com/news/9243757/detail.html

This morning the emergency situation at Leonardtown schools reportedly began when people saw a highschool-aged white male at Faststop, across the street, appear to put a gun in his backpack and walk towards the schools.

Students at the schools remain on lock-down with a home room rule all day.

Police from St. Mary's County are joined by those from Calvert and Charles as they contiinue to search for weapons at the schools.

At 10.30 a.m. two men were escorted from the high school in handcuffs and it looked as if the perpetrators may have been apprehended. However, a SWAT team of two dozen tactical cops armed with assault riffles, who had been standing by at the schools, began at the same time to march on the school and enter it, which suggested the danger was far from over.

Deputy Cusaic, with St. Mary's County Sheriff confirmed that the two men arrested were not suspects in the school gun threat. The men were reportedly found to be carrying drugs. "They were in the wrong place at the wrong time," confirmed Cusaic.

Parents and anyone else are being quartered across the street at the county fairground.

Numerous police, the tactical “swat” team and a HAZMAT team arrived earlier this morning.

Other police are searching the outlying area near Fastop across the street for a white male suspect.

Police are currently searching cars and pedestrians in the vacinity for weapons.

Police told The Bay Net that students are safe and parents are advised they will need to collect their children from the fairgrounds today.

A family member of one student waits anxiously at the command center. Police won't release any information at the moment. "They're saying everyone's safe," she told The Bay Net, "but here," she said motioning to the HAZMAT team, "it's a different story."

At 10:10 a.m. a further van that looked to be carrying an additional SWAT team arrived on the scene. Other police are sweeping from the wooded areas to the school.