By Travis Gupton

The Selma Times-Journal

R.B. Hudson Steam Academy was placed on lockdown Thursday after a report of an active shooter was made at the school.

The lockdown began around 2 p.m. Thursday as the Selma Police Department and Dallas County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene. Both made a search of the property.

According to Selma Police Chief Kenta Fulford, no action other than the search was taken and no arrests were made.

Schools around the area went under lockdown while the police did a search of R.B. Hudson. Selma City Schools Superintendent Zickeyous Byrd quickly notified parents and updating them took place at the school. School officials determined that the active shooter threat was a prank call.

“RB Hudson is on lockdown due to an alleged prank call,” Byrd said. “Police are present and are checking the building. All students are safe and secure.”

On Friday afternoon Byrd released a statement on behalf of the district, giving the public an update on the lockdown.

“As many of you were advised by text yesterday, we placed R.B. Hudson STEAM Academy on lockdown,” Byrd said. “I want to provide you with updated information. Someone within or outside the Selma Community called in a threat to the police hotline. Officers responded immediately, placed protection around the school’s campus, and dispatched officers to our other schools. After a thorough and lengthy investigation, law enforcement officials determined that the call was a prank and gave us the all-clear to operate as usual and encouraged us to cancel after-school activities. Please know these incidents are not isolated to Selma.

“These events are happening all around our state, and it is my hope that strategies and penalties will be put into place to deter these activities.      While we know the lockdown may have been alarming for many of our scholars and concerning for our parents, operationally, we treated it here as an actual event until proven otherwise. Our efforts reduced the risk of anyone within the school’s population moving toward any potential danger. Please know that Selma City Schools (SCS) District takes every threat seriously, and every decision we make is to ensure the safety of our scholars while they are in our care.      As we continue to work together to build your trust and show transparency, please know that we will always keep you informed through our communication platforms (the Remind App, the SCS’s website, and social media),”

Byrd closed with the following comments: “Communication is probably the most crucial relationship of trust when you drop off your child at a school to be cared for and provided with a high-quality education.   

We ask that you continue to support our schools by speaking up and against anyone who desires to cause distractions to our educational system and processes. All scholars deserve our attention every minute of the day. They are entitled to the very best. Let’s continue to band together for the betterment of all of Selma’s children.”