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Squirrel shooter in park sparked Nevada school lockdown

Posted at 5:48 AM, Apr 12, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-12 08:48:24-04

DAYTON (AP) — The threat of a man with a gun that caused a brief lock down at a northern Nevada school turned out to be a county employee shooting squirrels at a nearby park.

The Reno Gazette Journal reports that the Lyon County sheriff's office received a call Wednesday morning with reports of a man with a rifle at a park across the street from Dayton Elementary School 12 miles (19 kilometers) northeast of Carson City.

School Superintendent Wayne Workman says deputies responded immediately and doors were locked for about 20 minutes before they determined a Lyon county employee with a pellet gun was trying to address a problem with squirrels in the park.

County Manager Jeff Page says the county is investigating the incident. He says they plan to look for alternative way to eradicate the rodents in the future.