It was a scary day for some students at Alexandria City Public Schools, who spent the day "locked in" after elementary school students reported seeing a man with a gun outside a school.
The school district said via Twitter that there was "no immediate threat to schools." Classes proceeded as usual inside the schools, the district reported, and schools dismissed on time Tuesday afternoon.
But during the school day, no one was allowed in or out of the 18 city schools.
The incident began about 12:10 p.m., when several 5- and 6-year-old children playing outside the school reported seeing an unknown man on the other side of a chain-link fence, police said in a press release.
The man "called to the children to draw their attention," the release said, and when they looked at him, he "pointed what appeared to be a 'long gun' at the students."
"Children have a different reliability rate than adults, but we look at everything else combined -- ow many children saw the same thing, what seems viable -- and we believe there was a person here with an item that appeared to be a gun," said Crystal Nosal of Alexandria City Police. "Whether that is an imitation one or a real one, we haven't determined."
No children were hurt, but numerous police began searching the area. Some searched by helicopter.
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Police were searching for a black male, with a medium complexion, 5'6" to 5'8" inches tall, of a medium build with a "belly," with a short, black, mohawk-style haircut. He was wearing a black shirt, blue pants and black boots.
There will be a police presence at the school Wednesday, News4's Kristin Wright reported.
