Parts of Winfield went on alert for a short time Wednesday after a report of shots being fired near an elementary school that later were identified as coming from a memorial service at a nearby cemetery.
Winfield officers were dispatched around noon to a report of gunshots heard by children and adults at Whittier Elementary School, 1400 Mound St. Officers checked the area and confirmed the gunshots came from St. Marys Cemetery, 1938 E. 12th Ave., and were part of a veterans’ memorial service, according to the Winfield Police Department Facebook page.
The ceremonial shots were fired during recess, and as part of USD 465’s Emergency Standard Response Protocol, students and staff were moved inside until the area was deemed free of any threat. All students and staff are safe, according to school district representatives.
As a result of the misunderstanding, Winfield school district advised all the Winfield funeral homes to notify the school district of any future memorial services so everyone can be informed.
Monthly drills at Kansas schools now include other alerts and evacuation drills so school staff and students can be more prepared in the event that something serious occurs, according to a school official.
(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)