School at Point Defiance briefly locked down after reports of shots fired in park
A school in Tacoma’s Point Defiance Park was locked down for about an hour Tuesday morning while police responded to a report of a man firing several gunshots into the woods nearby.
Tacoma Police Department said officers walked the trails of the park and didn’t find anyone. Police told the school it could return to normal activities.
The Science and Math Institute (SAMI), was locked down after a park employee called 911 about 7:37 a.m. to report seeing a man near the back entrance of the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium firing three to four shots into the ground toward the woods.
Police spokesperson Wendy Haddow said it’s unclear what the shooter’s intent was. She said he may have been scaring off an animal.
Students who were on their way to school during the lockdown were diverted to Truman Middle School on North 35th Street, according to the SAMI’s website. The lockdown was lifted about 8:40 a.m. and students were asked to return to campus.
This story was originally published May 31, 2022 at 9:34 AM.
