Man arrested after shots fired near Lexington’s Tates Creek school campus, district says

An 18 year old who allegedly fired a gun on the edge of Tates Creek’s campus was charged Friday with felony wanton endangerment, district officials said in a statement.

Faezon Latrell Odom, 18, was arrested. He was not a Fayette school graduate or a student, district officials said.

Just before 9 a.m., the statement said, while Tates Creek Middle School students were arriving at school, there were reports of shots fired in the Centre Parkway area. The student arrival process at the elementary and high schools was complete and instruction was already underway.

School administrators, along with the Fayette County Public Schools Police Department, immediately began investigating along with Lexington Police.

All three schools on the Tates Creek campus — elementary, middle and high school — were placed on heightened alert, which means students and staff remain inside the building and guests are restricted from entering.

During the investigation, officers discovered evidence indicating that a gun had been discharged near the entrance to campus. School leaders also received reports from middle school students who possibly witnessed the incident while arriving at school.

There was no indication that a student was responsible, the statement said.

When officers determined that the gun shots took place on the edge of campus, they advised school leaders that the best course of action was to place the middle school on lockdown while they searched for the suspect.

A lockdown means students and staff are not permitted to leave their classrooms, and no one is allowed to enter or exit the building. Reducing movement inside the building helps law enforcement conduct an investigation in a quick and orderly manner.

Since students and staff were already in the buildings at the elementary and high schools when the incident occurred, they remained on heightened alert.

Just after noon, officers located the suspect at his home. The lockdown and heightened alerts were then lifted.

“I am proud of the way our students and staff at all three schools responded today,” said Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent Demetrus Liggins. “Everyone took immediate action and followed district safety protocols to keep our students and staff safe and our families informed.

“The message we have for our students, families, and community is that our campus continues to be a safe place,” Liggins said.