North Carolina community college lifts lockdown after police chase felon with body armor near campus

Southwestern Community College in Sylva, North Carolina, went into “an immediate lockdown” Tuesday morning as police sought to apprehend a felon near the Jackson campus, the school said in an alert.

The college initially alerted students of an “active shooter” situation near campus, but later said, “Our latest info is that this is not an active shooter situation at this time.”

The lockdown was lifted at noon. Southwestern said that law enforcement officials had been seeking to apprehend a felon wearing body armor who was on the loose.

“The subject initially fled to a wooded area behind Lowe’s,” Southwestern said in an 11:05 a.m. update.

PARENTS WEIGH IN ON SCHOOL SAFETY AFTER UVALDE SHOOTING

The school advised faculty to secure students in the building, secure work areas and to lock classroom, office and suite doors, in an alert sent just before 10:30 a.m. 

Doors were not to be unlocked or entry allowed until the administration or law enforcement cleared the situation, according to the school.

Southwestern Community College’s Jackson campus is located in Sylva, a town in Jackson County in western North Carolina.