(UPDATED: According to our conversation this morning with Melissa Stilley, it was an umbrella, not a gun.) Late yesterday afternoon, a white male with long hair appeared in the Hammond Eastside parking area holding a handgun.
Law enforcement and first responders quickly arrived on campus.
Within minutes, a large law enforcement presence was on both campuses of Hammond Eastside and Hammond High School to ensure the safety of the students, the staff, and the parents. Hammond Eastside and Hammond High were immediately put into a lockdown, not allowing anyone in nor out of the schools.
After intensive security measures were taken, the campuses were deemed safe and both schools began releasing students and staff, with bus riders going first, carpool second, and employees last.
Please note that there was not an active shooter on either campus, nor was there ever someone with a gun inside the building. Tangipahoa Parish Schools offers a special thanks to local law enforcement agencies and the Hammond Eastside and Hammond High School Administration and Staff for keeping students safe during a stressful and difficult time.
Tangipahoa Parish Public Schools had already planned to have a full virtual day for learning on Friday, November 19 due to a high number of employee requests for leave, compounded with projected absences and a shortage of substitutes to cover classes and other staff duties.
