Police shoot dead ‘potential intruder’ at Alabama elementary school

The individual was not armed, but allegedly was trying to take a police officer’s weapon during a fight

Walnut Park Elementary School in Gadsen, Alabama, where a ‘potential intruder’ was shot and killed by police on 9 June, 2022. (Google Maps)

Police in Alabama have shot and killed a "potential intruder" at an elementary school where a summer program was being held, authorities said.

The Associated Press reports that police shot and killed the alleged intruder at Walnut Park Elementary School in Gadsen, Alabama. The "potential intruder," Robert Tyler White, 32, reportedly tried to access several doors at the school. All of the doors were locked while 34 children participated in an event inside.

Mr White lived in the Gadsen area, according to the county coroner.

When the school's principal realised Mr White was trying to enter, she reportedly called the police.

The Gadsen Times reports that the school’s resource officer encountered Mr White and called for backup after an argument broke out. At least one other officer responded, after which the individual was shot and killed.

District Attorney Jody Willoughby told the paper Mr White was not armed, but that he did try to take the officer’s weapon during the fight.

Gadsen City Schools Superintendent Tony Reddick told the Gadsen Times that no students were hurt during the incident and that "all kids are out" of the school.

"We don't know the potential of what could have happened had those two officers not responded the way they did, so we very much commend them for that," Mr Reddick said.

The school resource officer who initially responded to the scene reportedly suffered minor injuries during the altercation with Mr White, authorities said.

Etowah County Sheriff Jonathon Horton said the incident began when a passerby saw an individual attempting to get into cars and the school. The passerby thought they looked suspicious and called the Attalla police using a non-emergency line.

The school resource officer then exited the building and confronted the individual, which reportedly led to a scuffle between the two. By that time, calls had been made to 911 and other officers quickly arrived on scene.

At some point the suspect was shot and killed by one of the officers. The school resource officer was then taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries he sustained in the fight.

Mr Horton said the entire episode was over in 10 minutes.

“We’re just so thankful that none of this involved the children. Everyone followed the safety protocols that we’ve drilled on,” Mr Reddick told AL.com.

The incident comes on the heels of the Uvalde school shooting, in which 19 students and two faculty members of Robb Elementary School were killed by an 18-year-old gunman.

Since then, law enforcement bodies across the US have arrested numerous individuals who have threatened to carry out school shootings on social media, including a 10-year-old boy in Florida.