Central Nine searched for gun: Police didn’t find runaway teen, firearm; school put on lockdown

Central Nine Career Center in Greenwood was searched for a runaway teen who possibly had a firearm seen inside the building on Monday morning.

The teen, who ran away from his home in another county several weeks ago, was not found, Greenwood police assistant chief Matt Fillenwarth said.

Police put the campus on U.S. 31 on lockdown while searching for the teen.

The teen’s father and a student at Central Nine told police that the boy was at the school with a friend before classes started on Monday morning.

He had not made a threat, but police had to search for him because of the possibility that he had a firearm and because he has a mental illness and has not been taking his medication, Fillenwarth said.

Police put the campus on U.S. 31 on lockdown shortly after noon while officers searched the property for nearly two hours. No one was allowed to enter or leave the property while police were searching. Parents were directed to parking lots nearby, Fillenwarth said.

Clark-Pleasant schools notified parents that the police investigation was limiting access to several of the Whiteland-area schools as well.

Central Nine is a career and technical-training school for mostly high school students who spend portions of their day at nine local and southside school districts, then take courses at the center.