Hall County school officials had a brief scare Wednesday when gunshots were heard near Mount Vernon Elementary School, leading to a lockdown that lasted about 10 minutes.
Hall County law enforcement officials determined the shots came from a resident next to the school shooting a rattlesnake on his property, school district spokesman Gordon Higgins said.
The incident happened around 1:20 p.m. Principal Connie Daniels ordered an immediate lockdown and notified law enforcement, Higgins said.
The lockdown lasted 10 minutes due to quick law enforcement response.
“Daniels and her staff did an outstanding job in putting the school in quick lockdown with all children and staff in safe and secure areas,” Higgins said.
Sgt. Stephen Wilbanks, public information officer for the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, said there’s no indication that the shots were fired toward the school. The incident is still under investigation.