BB Gun Sparks Panic, Draws Police to West Alabama Junior High School

Area police swarmed a West Alabama school that was placed on lockdown Wednesday after a student reported seeing a BB gun in another student's backpack.

Roger Tolliver, the chief of police in Livingston, Alabama, said the incident took place at Livingston Junior High Wednesday.

Get our free mobile app

He said the student who saw the BB gun reported it to a teacher, who followed protocol and immediately reported the incident to administrators at the school who then contacted law enforcement.

Officers from the Livingston Police Department and the Sumter County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene, secured the BB guns and the lockdown was lifted.

Tolliver said fear about the police response was exacerbated Wednesday by inaccurate posts on social media.

"We understand that there was a post earlier by an individual stating there was a gun and it sparked alarm," Tolliver said. "We would like to reiterate that all proper protocols were followed and everyone is safe."

Chief Tolliver also thanked the reporting student, Livingston Junior High teachers and the multiple law enforcement agencies involved for their quick actions that saw this situation resolved as quickly and safely as possible.

He did not say if the student allegedly responsible for bringing the BB guns to school will face any criminal charges in the matter, and Alabama law now strictly limits what police agencies can report about cases involving juveniles.