CAIRO — Washington Middle School in Cairo was placed on lockdown Friday afternoon after an incident in a nearby neighborhood prompted officials to secure the campus, the Grady County School District said in a statement.
What We Know: The district issued an official notification to parents and guardians at 1:37 p.m. Friday, advising them that the school had been locked down and that all students were safe. The nature of the incident that triggered the lockdown had not been released as of the time of the notification.
Confirmed Information: The district’s message to families was direct: “Washington Middle School is on lockdown due to an incident in a nearby neighborhood. Please do not attempt to come to the school and check your student out. We will post when it is all clear. All students are safe and in class.”
Officials confirmed students remained in their classrooms during the lockdown. The district did not announce any changes to the dismissal schedule and said it would post an update once the situation was resolved.
The Grady County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that the lockdown was triggered by a shooting incident on the northwest side of Cairo. Authorities did not immediately release details about injuries or the exact location of the shooting, but said Washington Middle School was placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure due to the incident’s proximity to the campus.
The Sheriff’s Office is urging residents to use caution when traveling in the area and to remain alert. Investigators are asking the public to be on the lookout for a white Dodge Charger that may be associated with the shooting. Anyone who sees the vehicle or has information related to the incident is asked to contact the Grady County Sheriff’s Office, the Cairo Police Department, or 911. Authorities cautioned residents not to approach or attempt to confront anyone connected to the vehicle.
This is a developing story. This article will be updated as the Grady County School District releases additional information.
B.T. Clark is the Publisher of The Georgia Sun and author of Principles Are Like Pants… You Ought to Have Some. Over two decades in journalism, he has served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc., earning multiple awards along the way. His work has appeared in newspapers across the state, including The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal.
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- B.T. Clark
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