Smithville Elementary School went on lockdown last Monday morning after a teacher reportedly thought she saw an unknown man inside the school.
School officials say the teacher notified the School Resource Officer, who placed the school in lockdown. The incident happened early in the morning, before children had arrived at school, so buses were rerouted to other schools while the elementary was searched.
DeKalb School Board Director Patrick Cripps and Attendance Supervisor Joey Reeder were on hand, along with responding units with the Smithville Police Department. Officials say the school was thoroughly searched and surveillance video was reviewed, but no suspect was detected.
Authorities say the teacher may have seen a school janitor that they did not recognized. Officials say the teacher did the right thing, and the lockdown, while inconvenient, was necessary to keep the young students safe.