Lockdown ends at Keyes schools. All on campus are safe, but there’s an odd twist

Monday afternoon’s lockdown at Keyes schools ended without harm to students and employees, and the surprise discovery of a man wounded in the area.

Deputies searched in and near the 5700 block of Eighth Street after getting a call about gunshots fired at around 1:30 p.m., said Sgt. Josh Clayton of the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department.

Authorities at first said that no one was injured, but then Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock reported that a man had arrived with a gunshot wound to the chest. The unidentified man, who is expected to survive, is not believed to have any connection with the schools, Clayton said.

No suspect information was available as of the afternoon.

The exact location of the shooting is not known. That part of Eighth Street is close to a large, mostly fenced block that includes Keyes Elementary School, Keyes to Learning Charter School and the preschool and Head Start programs.

The lockdown also involved Spratling Middle School in the north part of town.

The district had told parents in a Facebook post that they should hold off on the afternoon pickup. That changed at about 3:30 p.m.:

“We have received the all clear from law enforcement and you are now safe to pick up children, but please be safe and orderly!”

Superintendent Helio Brasil followed up with this post: “Thank you all very much for your support of our schools during this emergency lockdown we experienced today. Thank you for trusting that kids were safe and our priority was to keep them from any harm ... Our staff, law enforcement officers and community did an amazing job of responding to this incident.”

Thank You All,

Helio Brasil

Superintendent

This story was originally published April 8, 2019 at 2:48 PM with the headline "Lockdown ends at Keyes schools. All on campus are safe, but there’s an odd twist."