Authorities said call ‘lasted several hours’
Walton-Verona Independent Schools issued a statement Wednesday regarding an armed man threatening suicide near the Walton-Verona High School campus.
The school district sent a statement to its Facebook page, telling the community that a “man who lives near our Walton campus experienced a mental health emergency” around 8 a.m. Wednesday morning.
“He was armed and had expressed that he was suicidal,” the statement says.
The Walton Fire Department and Boone County Sheriff’s Office intervened. The statement says the man was “apprehended without incident.”
The statement goes on to say that the safety of students is a top priority for district leadership, and Superintendent Matt Baker thanked law enforcement for its quick response.
Boone County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Philip Ridgell told LINK nky:
“It was an emotional crisis involving an armed adult male on a street that backs up to the school. The call lasted several hours and we negotiated a peaceful outcome. No one was hurt and the subject was taken to the hospital for an evaluation. No criminal charges are expected.”
The incident comes the day after Walton-Verona’s neighbor, Boone County Schools, held a public conversation about school safety as many take measures to prevent incidents like the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in May.
A report from the Texas House found there were 376 law enforcement officers on the scene at Robb Elementary School on May 24, but it took more than an hour before they confronted the gunman holed up in a fourth grade classroom. The shooter killed 19 students and two teachers.
Boone County Schools Superintendent Matt Turner spoke at the Florence City Council meeting on Tuesday night. After his initial presentation, council members raised questions about the safety of students.
“Understandably, what happened in Uvalde, Texas this summer has completely shaken some people, ourselves included,” Turner said. “Some of the reports coming out of that show it was a complete failure of every system.”
Turner said the school district has made changes to its safety plan. He said the plan is updated annually, and “additional measures” have been included this year. Turner said he cannot publicly divulge further information on the plan without compromising the safety of the schools.
“I think the biggest thing that we want to continue to emphasize to our families and to our community is that if you see something, you’ve got to say something,” he said.
Florence Police Chief Tom Grau repeated the advice in a video uploaded to the district’s YouTube channel. With three kids who have been enrolled in Boone County Schools, Grau said he never kept his children home out of fear for their safety at school.
“And that’s as the chief of police for the city,” he added.
The Boone County Sheriff’s Office partners with both local school districts. He assured parents that school resource officers are trained and prepared to step in, should the need arise. Grau also acknowledged the “anxiety and stress” he feels as a parent after news of another school shooting surfaces.
In addition to safety walkthroughs and having a presence in the schools, Grau said the community has a role too. Students and community members can stay vigilant by reporting concerning behavior, whether it’s in-person or on social media, to their school or local law enforcement. He added that parents should have conversations with their children if they are showing signs of stress or anxiety, or express fears for the safety at school.
“There can be anxiety and stress when these things happen,” Grau said. “We all have to do better.”
Anyone experiencing a mental or emotional crisis can call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline by calling 988.