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No threat identified after report of armed person at Hilltop Elementary, school district says

The district says that they immediately placed the school on lockdown after the report.

BONAIRE, Ga. — Houston County Schools placed Hilltop Elementary School in Bonaire on lockdown after what appears to be a false-alarm sighting of a person with a gun, according to Jennifer Jones with the Houston County School District.

Law enforcement conducted a sweep of the school and found no evidence that there was anybody with a gun, Jones says.

It happened during the school's dismissal on Wednesday afternoon.

As soon as they learned of the report, Jones says they placed the school on lockdown and law enforcement "immediately" arrived on the scene.

After the sweep, the school was placed back in a code green and operation returned to normal, Jones said. 

In a message to parents, the district says law enforcement is conducting a controlled dismissal.

Jones says that an investigation is underway.

"We're going to continue to notify our parents as we continue to learn more information," Jones said. 

The lockdown comes amid heightened awareness of school safety in the aftermath of the Apalachee Shooting outside of Athens. 

In the week since the shooting, school districts across Georgia and the rest of the U.S. have dealt with a stark increase in threats, which have led to arrests and even school cancelations.

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