Classes Resume At Patrick Henry After Possibly Armed Suspect Enters School

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Students and staff at Patrick Henry High School headed back to class on Wednesday morning after being placed on lockdown on Tuesday afternoon.

Around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, a man who appeared to be armed was trying to get on a Metro Transit bus, but noticed a squad car in the area, according to Minneapolis Police. Witnesses said the man later ran into the high school through a side door. School had already let out for the day, but 200 students were still inside.

Minneapolis Public Schools officials say a suspect was spotted on surveillance footage entering the school. The intruder exited the building in a short amount of time.

The suspect was described as a black male, 5 feet 6 inches tall with a slender build. He was wearing a puffy gray jacket and a brown beanie cap.

The school was placed on lock down as officers went room by room, looking for the suspect.

As police searched and cleared the building, students were evacuated and placed on waiting buses until their parents or guardians could pick them up.

Support staff is at the school Wednesday to help out any students who need help processing the event.

Officials with Minneapolis Public Schools say they are conducting their own after-action review, and they are grateful to the Minneapolis Police Department for its quick and thorough response to the incident.

"Creating and maintaining safe, welcoming learning environments has been and will continue to be a priority for MPS. We are a learning organization and yesterday's unfortunate incident provides an opportunity for us to again examine our existing procedures and practices and look for areas we can improve," Dirk Tedmon with Minneapolis Public Schools said.