Protocols and drills have been enhanced ever since the devastating tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, at Robb Elementary School, leaving 19 children and two teachers dead. In Alabama, police wasted no time responding to a reported “suspicious” man outside of an elementary school.
On Thursday morning, police officers responded to a principal’s phone call at Walnut Park Elementary, where it was reported that a man was outside the school and pulled on the door “aggressively” numerous times.
“I got a call from the principal, who’s really distraught, and I really couldn’t make out what was happening,” superintendent Tony Reddick said. “But I knew it was something pretty bad.”
At the time, the school held 34 children there that were a part of a summer literacy camp.
Once the police arrived, there was a physical dispute that involved gunfire, resulting in the suspect being shot and killed. There is no official word on whether the suspect was armed.
Reddick says, “We’re just so thankful that none of this involved the children. Everyone followed the safety protocols that we’ve drilled on.”
