On the Onalaska School District’s website feed, Superintendent Brenda Padgett on Tuesday night posted about a 3:45 p.m. incident that prompted the district to “lockdown and then subsequently evacuate.”
A staff member observed “an individual with what appeared to be a rifle or long-barreled weapon of some kind walking across the front of the campus before walking in the direction leading away from the district.”
The staff member immediately informed the district office, Padgett said. She and others then called law enforcement and directed remaining administrators at the middle school “to lock down until we could determine next steps.” Officers from the Lewis County Sheriff's Office arrived “within minutes,” she wrote.
After law enforcement did not find anyone in the immediate area, she said, the school district campuses were evacuated.
At 5:15 p.m., Padgett said, a deputy informed her that the individual had been located and the weapon was found to be a pellet gun.
“Thankfully, we now know that students and staff were never in any real danger. However, we acted with the information we had at the time. We are thankful for the quick actions of our staff members, and the amazingly quick and thorough response from the Lewis County Sheriff's Office.”
