Alexandria, La. — A tense situation unfolded Monday morning at Peabody Montessori Elementary on Lower Third Street when a white vehicle sped into the school parking lot, prompting the School Resource Officer (SRO) to fire several shots in defense.
Sheriff Mark Wood confirmed that the SRO attempted to stop the vehicle after it refused to slow down, turned around at a locked gate, and accelerated directly toward the officer. The SRO discharged his weapon, and the vehicle fled the scene. The officer was knocked down but is unharmed.
“There were no shots fired inside the school,” Wood told KLAX and UrbanCast. “The children are safe. This is not a time to be messing around schools, because we’re going to do what we have to do. We’re going to treat any act like this as a threat.”
Before speaking to the media, Wood walked over to parents who had gathered outside the school. He personally assured them that the situation was under control and that their children were safe inside continuing with normal classroom learning.
Lockdown and Heavy Security Presence
Peabody Montessori was immediately placed on a Level One lockdown as law enforcement secured the campus. Sheriff Wood described the school as “probably the safest school in Rapides Parish right now” with as many as 30 to 40 officers from the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police, and Alexandria Police Department on site.
“Most of the children inside don’t even know what happened,” Wood said. “The principal told me they’re back to learning, doing what they do day to day. But it’s sad, because incidents like this change people’s lives.”
Recent Threats and Community Concerns
The sheriff also addressed the wave of recent school threats traced to juveniles at Oak Hill, Peabody, Pineville, Alexandria Senior High, and Tioga. Those students have been detained at Renaissance, though Wood emphasized Monday’s incident was unrelated.
“It’s sickening,” Wood said. “We’ve arrested five juveniles for these threats, and this morning’s incident was separate. But everyone is on edge, parents, law enforcement, and students. I even have grandchildren in these schools. So I’m telling the public, please talk to your kids. Do not make these threats. This is not the time to do that.”
A Message to the Community
Wood closed with a direct message to anyone considering making threats or unsafe actions near schools. “Stop. Just stop. It’s not funny. You’re going to end up in jail, away from your family. But I also want the public to know this. We can’t live in fear. Schools have to go on. Our children have to learn. And you can trust that we will keep them as safe as we can.”
He also noted that Rep. Mike Johnson is considering legislation to stiffen penalties for school threats and possibly hold parents accountable. Wood urged parents to monitor their children’s social media activity and stressed the importance of prevention alongside law enforcement response.
“There are countries where children aren’t allowed on social media until 14 or 16 because of the risks,” Wood said. “We have to pay attention. This is not the time to ignore what our kids are doing online.”
Call for Information
Authorities released an image of the suspect vehicle and ask anyone with information to contact RPSO at (318) 473-6700, the Alexandria Police Department at (318) 441-6442, or Crime Stoppers at (318) 443-7867.
