Canton preschool lifts lockdown, cancels classes after gun threat in area

CANTON ‒ A public preschool in the city's northwest section was locked down Wednesday morning after the administration learned someone may have had a weapon on school grounds.

The incident occurred outside the Early Learning Center at Schreiber, Canton City Schools Superintendent Jeff Talbert said in a prepared statement

"We enacted our safety protocols, immediately locked down the building, and contacted the police and our district security team," he said. "The police began their investigation and once they were sure the suspect had left the vicinity, we lifted the lockdown at 11:15 a.m."

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"As a precaution, we canceled the remainder of the school day and asked parents/guardians to come to pick up their students immediately."

Canton police spokesman Lt. Dennis Garren said no shots were fired.

"Someone reported that (a) subject threatened them with a gun in that area," he wrote in an email early Wednesday afternoon. "Our officers responded and are still on the call trying to locate the suspect."

Talbert said additional security personnel remained at Schreiber to ensure the safety of staff and students.

"In the Canton City School District, our top priority is the safety and security of our staff and students," he said. "We thank our staff at Schreiber, our district security team, and the Canton Police Department for their swift action."

Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter: @nmolnarTR.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton preschool locked down, dismissed early due to gun threat