‘Heightened alert’ at Tates Creek Schools due to shots fired in area lifted

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ)

11/4/22, 12:31 p.m.

The lockdown and heightened alerts have been lifted.

Deffendall says the school is working on additional communication for staff, families and the community.

11/4/22, 10:47 a.m.

One Tates Creek school is on lockdown while two more are on “heightened alert” due to shots fired in the area, according to Lexington police.

Tates Creek Middle School was placed on lockdown “out of an abundance of caution,” and Tates Creek High and Elementary schools are on heightened alert, Fayette County Public Schools spokeswoman Lisa Deffendall said in a statement to ABC 36. No students or staff have been harmed.

Police are currently searching the bottom of a hill where all three schools are located with a metal detector.

FCPS is asking families to stay away from campus, but some parents say the lack of communication from the district was frustrating.

“That’s….that’s the hard part. The vagueness of the communication, the carefulness of what was said, we don’t know what is going on,” said Brittany Colston.

Police say this is an ongoing investigation and anyone with information should contact Fayette County Public Schools Police Department.