DECATUR, Ga. — All Decatur City Schools were locked down Tuesday due to a bomb threat made at one school and gun violence threats made at two others.
Channel 2's Nicole Carr was in Decatur, where worried parents spent the day wondering if their children were safe. All nine of the school district's buildings were locked down and police officers were dispatched to each facility. Police did not identify the specific schools that were threatened.
Schools stayed on lockdown through dismissal and all after-school activities, including Animal Crackers, Whiz Kids and Project REAL, were canceled.
NEW: Afterschool activities have also been cancelled. Decatur City Schools remain in daylong lockdown amid gun violence, bomb threats . Latest on #Channel2at4 @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/tXui6oQ2Ur
— Nicole Carr (@NicoleCarrWSB) November 27, 2018
Carr spoke to middle school students, who said they had prepared for this sort of event, so it didn't take them long to figure out it wasn't a drill.
"We heard the announcements and it said 'code red, code red.'," Donald Jackson said.
Izora Seymore was so disturbed by the news she went to Winnona Park Elementary School to try to check her second-grade granddaughter out of school.
She was told her granddaughter wouldn't be allowed out of school, and she wouldn't be allowed in. Police escorted her from the entrance.
"I'm sorry, but when I heard the news I had to come," Seymore said. "I don't know about the other parents but I know how I feel."
The school system posted the following message on its website Tuesday:
"On Tuesday, November 27, 2018, the Decatur Police Department received reports of a bomb threat against one school and threats of gun violence made against two additional schools. Working with City Schools of Decatur, a system-wide lockdown of all schools was initiated out of precaution. DeKalb County Police and DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office responded to assist. Schools are still currently under lockdown as we investigate these threats. There have been officers on site at every school since we were made aware of the threats. We have found no evidence to substantiate these threats at this point. Officers will remain assigned to each of the schools for the remainder of the day."
Full police update on gun violence, bomb threats made to Decatur City Schools. Police will remain on each campus @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/d7G7FBFCYd
— Nicole Carr (@NicoleCarrWSB) November 27, 2018
“We can’t let you in. We can’t let her out.” Front office speaking to Izora Seymour as she arrives at Winona Park Elementary for her granddaughter. Police walked her from front door. All Decatur City Schools remain on lockdown ,few details released re:threat investigation @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/ivC6n6SmES
— Nicole Carr (@NicoleCarrWSB) November 27, 2018
MORE: Decatur Police have just asked us to move back from Winona Park Elementary as they investigate some sort of threat. All City Schools on lockdown at this hour , police presence at each school @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/dmdkLDuBR7
— Nicole Carr (@NicoleCarrWSB) November 27, 2018
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Students at Renfroe Middle School told Carr they were scared.
"They told us that someone was threatening the schools to blow them up, so they got us to a safe place," Jackson said. "I just thought, 'I'm not safe at school, because what would I do if I'm in school and it blows up?'"
Nancy Brenneman, a Decatur mother, rode her bike to the school, where she said the shades were drawn and it was eerily quiet.
"Worst-case scenario, you know? You hear it on the news about other schools across the country and you wonder, 'Is this going to be our turn?'" Brenneman said. "Yeah, so it's scary."
NewsChopper 2 was over Winnona Park Elementary School on Avery Street in Decatur during Channel 2 Action News at Noon.
There were several students walking back into the building at that time.
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