Lockdown of Harris County schools in Hamilton lifted after suspect turns himself in

The Harris County School District placed its schools in the Hamilton area on lockdown Wednesday morning, due to a threat, but by early afternoon, the suspect had turned himself in to the Harris County Sheriff's Department and the lockdown was lifted.

HCSD chief information officer Jeff Branham told the Ledger-Enquirer in a phone interview that the threat was reported by a principal to the superintendent's office. The threat was that "a person was planning on coming to campus with a weapon at a school in Hamilton," Branham said.

HCSD contacted the sheriff's department and placed the following schools on lockdown around 10 a.m.: Park Elementary, Carver Middle, Harris County High and the Performance Learning Center, Branham said.

At 11:35 a.m., Branham said, HCSD received word that the suspect has left the Hamilton area and sheriff's deputies were pursuing the suspect, so the restriction was eased to "light lockdown" at the Hamilton area schools, meaning students and staff could move throughout their building but access from the outside was secured the sheriff's deputies remained at each school.

At 12:40 p.m., Branham said, HCSD received word that the suspect had turned himself in to deputies and the threat was over, so the lockdown was lifted completely.

Nobody at the sheriff's department was reached for comment.

This story was originally published December 20, 2017 at 1:25 PM with the headline "Lockdown of Harris County schools in Hamilton lifted after suspect turns himself in."