School ‘soft lockdown’ lifted, culprit identified

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - Hours after placing their schools on “soft lockdown” Monday morning, Westside Consolidated School officials announced that a culprit had been identified.

According to a news release shared on social media just after 12:15 p.m. Jan. 30, the district announced the lockdown had been lifted.

“I would like to thank the Craighead County Sheriff’s Department, as well as the administration and staff at Westside,” Superintendent Scott Gaunt stated. “Through cooperation and tech savvy, we believe the culprit has been identified and located off campus.”

District officials placed the high school on “soft lockdown” after learning of a possible threat circulating on social media.

Gauntt told Region 8 News the threat was similar in nature to one Nettleton Public Schools received last week.

He said they were taking the threat “seriously” and that additional safety precautions were in place at all three campuses.

He explained that during a soft lockdown, students are kept indoors, and the doors remain locked.

Region 8 will continue to track this story and provide updates as they become available.

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