KENT, Wash — Kent police say a juvenile suspect is in custody after fleeing into Kentridge High School following an armed carjacking.
Police say officers first were called around 9:30 a.m. Thursday after the victim of a carjacking called 911. A Newcastle man, 27, told police the suspect had posed as a potential purchaser of a vehicle he had for sale.
After a test drive and further discussion about the vehicle, the suspect produced a gun and took the vehicle, police say. The suspect drove into the parking lot of Kentridge High School, where the unoccupied vehicle was discovered by police.
Police say the suspect entered the high school, which was subsequently placed into lockdown. The suspect was eventually taken into custody without incident, police say.
The suspect was unarmed when they were arrested, according to a school email sent to parents.
A mother of a Kentridge student told KING 5 it took the school roughly two hours before alerting parents about the incident.
"I heard from my daughter, texting me [to say] there's a lockdown," she said. "So no, I'm not happy. That's a serious matter, you know?"
According to a school email provided by the same parent, the first notification was sent at 12:18 p.m. Another was sent at 3:26 p.m.
"The safety and well-being of our students and staff is paramount at all times. We are grateful to local law enforcement and KSD Safety Services for working to ensure all of our students and staff are safe," principal Christa Ernst said in the email to parents.
Neither the school nor the Kent School District has released a public statement.
The suspect is a juvenile and "will not be identified further at this point," police say. It is unclear if the suspect was a student at Kentridge.
The scene was cleared by the late afternoon; parents said students were allowed to attend after-school activities.