HAMLET — Monroe Avenue Elementary in Hamlet has been placed on temporary lockdowns on Wednesday and Thursday this week due to nearby shootings in the area.

“[Wednesday] afternoon we were alerted around 2:00 PM that there was a gunshot in the vicinity of our campus,” said Kylie McDonald, Public Information Officer for Richmond County Schools in a press release.

Monroe Avenue went into their ‘shelter in place’ protocol for 15 minutes.

The Hamlet Police Department cleared the area and determined that it was safe for the school to proceed with dismissal. A school resource officer, HPD and a the Director of Auxiliary Services remained on campus during dismissal.

“[Thursday], around 11:15 AM we were alerted that there was gunfire in the vicinity of our campus,” states the press release.

According to Chief Deputy Jay Childers with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to an address on Earl Franklin Drive in Hamlet in reference to a shooting victim.

Monroe Avenue went into their ‘shelter in place’ protocol for 20 minutes.

A male was located in a back yard suffering from a gun shot wound. That victim was treated by Hamlet Fire & Rescue and flown to a trauma center. The suspect is a black male in a white or grey SUV.

Again, law enforcement cleared the area and the school resumed to their normal activities.

“Safety is always our number one priority,” concludes the RCS press release. “Principal Melanie Carnes alerted families during each event via the all-call system.”

HPD Chief Dennis Brown could not be reached for additional info regarding the Wednesday shooting.

To support the Richmond County Daily Journal, subscribe at https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/subscribe or 910-817-3111.

Reach Matthew Sasser at 910-817-2671 or msasser@www.yourdailyjournal.com to suggest a correction.