A “suspicious” man attempting enter Walnut Park Elementary in Gadsden was fatally neutralized after engaging in a confrontation with responding law enforcement, according to local reports.
No children were harmed during the conflict.
According to Etowah County Sheriff Jonathan Horton, the man, identified as 32-year-old Robert Tyler White, arrived at the school Thursday around 9:30 a.m. The individual “aggressively” attempted to enter buildings and vehicles on the campus, authorities say.
The Gadsden Times reports that White’s identity was confirmed by Etowah County Coroner London Pearce.
A Rainbow City School resource officer responded to the situation. Representatives of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) said White, who was unarmed, attempted to take the responding officer’s firearm. Police were called to the scene to provide backup.
The resource officer was reportedly taken to the hospital to be treated for what is being described as minor injuries he sustained during the altercation.
In a statement released shortly after the incident occurred, ALEA noted that White was “injured by gunfire” but did not specifically mention that he was shot by an officer.
“An individual was attempting to make forcible entry into a marked Rainbow City patrol vehicle at which point a School Resource Officer (SRO) with the Rainbow City Police Department attempted to stop the subject,” the agency’s statement read, according to WHNT News 19. “The subject resisted and attempted to take the officer’s firearm.”
ALEA also stated that White, who lived in the Gadsden area, was originally from Bunnlevel, N.C.
In an interview with Nexstar Media Group, Gadsden City Schools superintendent Tony Reddick said he went to the campus after receiving a call from Walnut Park Elementary’s principal.
“I got a call from the principal who’s really distraught, and I really couldn’t make out what was happening,” Reddick told the outlet. “But I knew it was something pretty bad.”
Interview courtesy of CBS 42:
In a social media post, the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office instructed student guardians to bring identifying information to retrieve their children from the school, where they were attending the summer education program.
Reports indicate that there were 34 elementary school students on campus for a summer literacy camp, along with an additional 22 students that were at the school for a Parks and Recreation camp.
Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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