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One man is dead after being shot by police after attempting to enter an elementary school in Alabama.
According to local ABC station, WBMA, Tony Reddick, the superintendent of Gadsen City Schools, the man was "aggressively" attempting to enter Walnut Park Elementary School in Gadsden, Alabama, Thursday morning. The suspect was also allegedly trying to get into cars in the area. This comes as lawmakers battle for their beliefs over gun control after the second-deadliest school shooting took place in Uvalde, Texas, in May.
Jonathan Horton, the Etowah County sheriff, told WBMA that a passer-by made a call and reported the individual.
The man was going from door to door in order to gain entry into the school and after the school's principal noticed the man, the school was placed on lockdown, according to WBMA.
A school resource officer was then responded to the scene and called for backup from other law enforcement officials, CBS 42 reports. The station goes on to point out that during the encounter, an altercation developed between law enforcement and the suspect, who was shot and killed by the school's resource officer.
The school resource officer involved did sustain minor injuries, according to CBS 42. Horton told the Gadsden Times that the situation was over in 10 minutes' time.
Thursday morning's fatal shooting of a suspect trying to get into an Alabama elementary school comes after police in Uvalde, Texas, has come under heavy criticism for taking approximately an hour to enter the building during the deadly mass shooting at Robb Elementary School
Pete Arrendondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, is now facing an investigation after he reportedly kept officers from entering the school at the time of the shooting, which left 21 dead, including 19 children.
A teacher at Robb Elementary School, Arnulfo Reyes, who was injured in the shooting, leveled heavy criticism at the police for the actions during a recent interview on Good Morning America.
Reyes, during the appearance, referred to the officers as "cowards."
"After everything, I get more angry because you have a bullet-proof vest, I had nothing," he said. "You are supposed to protect and serve. There is no excuse for their actions and I will never forget them," Reyes said during the interview.
Reddick, speaking to CBS 42, stated that on Thursday morning the elementary school was holding a literacy camp and that 34 students were in the school at the time of the incident. There were no children injured.
After the incident, Reddick said a bus was then called in, which then transported them to a local high school and all of the students were quickly reunited with their parents.
The Etowah County Sheriff's Office told Newsweek they had no further comment on the situation at this time.
Newsweek reached out to the Gadsden City Schools for comment.
