Bel Air Schools Locked Down After 'Suspicious Incident': Police

BEL AIR, MD — Authorities are investigating a "suspicious incident" near Bel Air High School that briefly put that school and surrounding schools on lockdown Tuesday afternoon.

Police said a teenage girl called the Bel Air Police Department around 3 p.m. to report that a man in his 30s held her at gunpoint near Homestead Street, in the vicinity of Bel Air High School.

The suspect was described as a thin white man approximately 6' tall, wearing jeans and a jacket.

The girl was walking home from school near a wooded area at the time of the alleged incident, Sgt. Jim Lockard told Patch.

The victim was not harmed and nothing was taken, according to officials.

A school resource officer from the Bel Air Police Department was there within minutes and did not see a man leaving the area, police reported. The girl was not able to say where the suspect went, according to authorities.

The Bel Air Police Department set up a perimeter around the schools and performed a security check, during which time the schools were briefly placed on lockdown.

The investigation is continuing, police said Tuesday night, noting an update would be forthcoming Wednesday.

"Walk in pairs, if you’re walking," Lockard advised students. "Don't be tied to your phone. Pay attention to where you’re going, and pay attention to your surroundings."

File photo.