A lockdown at a far northwest suburban Harvard school was lifted Thursday after earlier barricade situation in the area.
Washington School, 305 S. Hutchinson St., was “under a soft lockdown for the afternoon” because of police activity nearby, according to a statement issued at 1:13 p.m. by Harvard Community Unit School District 50. No one was allowed to enter or exit the building while it was in place.
The school day continued like normal and police lifted the lockdown by 2:45 p.m., in time for students to take their regular bus routes home, district officials said.
Washington school serves children between 3 and 5 years old in a Pre-K program, according to the district’s website.
Harvard Police Chief Mark Krause said officers were in the area responding to a potentially suicidal person who had barricaded himself inside a home and implied that he had a weapon. Officers first made contact with the person about noon, and he was taken to a hospital by 2:30 p.m.
No firearms were found in the home and no injuries were reported, Krause said.
ALL CLEAR - Bus riders will take normal routes. Please meet your child at their normal drop off location: https://t.co/scaV9rBX68 pic.twitter.com/kS5LUQsJ8h
— Harvard CUSD 50 (@HarvardD50) August 22, 2019
Washington School is under a soft lockdown for the afternoon of Thursday, 8/22. As a precaution, no one will be permitted in or out of Washington School due to police activity in the Washington neighborhood. We will provide updates as soon as possible. https://t.co/URYCgaINgM pic.twitter.com/hQlZgxIyuW
— Harvard CUSD 50 (@HarvardD50) August 22, 2019