Roanoke County Police report the lockdowns have been lifted at William Byrd Middle and High Schools. They were put into place this morning to ensure student and teacher safety after an armed robbery at a nearby business. At last word, police were still looking for the robbery suspect.
(Continue reading for the full Roanoke County news release.)
ROANOKE COUNTY, VA (May 24, 2013, 11:30 a.m.) – Roanoke County Police are reporting that the lockdown has been lifted at William Byrd Middle and William Byrd High schools.
Earlier this morning, police responded to a report of armed robbery at a convenience store near the schools. As a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of students and teachers in the area, William Byrd High School and William Byrd Middle School were both been put on “lockdown status” until police could be certain the area was safe.
Roanoke County Police report that at approximately 9:35 a.m. this morning, a man armed with a handgun robbed the convenience store on Washington Avenue and fled in an undetermined direction with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Roanoke County police and Vinton police are seeking the suspect at this time. The suspect is described as being a white male, weighing approximately 180 lbs. and 6 ft. tall. The suspect is described as wearing a black or grey sweatshirt and black or grey sport shorts. The suspect is reportedly armed with a handgun.
