Hocking County OH- On Tuesday, October 27th, at approximately 10:56am, the Hocking County Dispatch Center received a 9-1-1 call stating an individual was walking near the Laurelville Elementary School with what appeared to be a handgun.
The caller was able to give an accurate description of the individual and deputies were immediately dispatched.
Within minutes, the deputy assigned to the Village of Laurelville arrived on scene and assisted the school in performing their lockdown procedures while he awaited additional units to arrive on scene.
Once all the children were safe accounted for and the buildings were placed into a lockdown, deputies began searching the area for the individual. Deputies from the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office and a surveillance drone from Hocking County EMS also assisted in the search.
Deputies were able to identify the individual and confirm the item that the individual was a cell phone, and not a firearm.
Hocking County Sheriff Lanny E. North would like to thank the Laurelville Elementary School and the Laurelville Head Start administration, teachers and staff for their immediate action and cooperation during this incident.
Sheriff North would also like to thank Pickaway County Sheriff Robert Radcliff and his deputies for their response and assistance and also the Hocking County EMS medics who provided their drone to help with the search.
