Mauldin Elementary Goes on Lockdown

Mauldin Elementary School went on a brief lockdown shortly before noon on Thursday after authorities alerted school officials an estranged parent might be on his way to the school to abduct his child.

The lockdown was confirmed by Greenville County Schools spokesman Oby Lyles. The school alerted parents of the lockdown, which reportedly lasted less than an hour and ended uneventfully.

The unidentified parent was apprehended by the Greenville Police Department, which requested Mauldin Police keep an eye on the school and the child while they located the suspect, said Mauldin Police Det. Benjamin Ford.

Details surrounding the incident remain sketchy. The Greenville Police Department as of late Thursday afternoon had not returned repeated calls or emails from Patch seeking more information.

Mauldin Police were not able to add much more information about the suspect or the circumstances that led to the lockdown.

"The Greenville Police Department requested we lay eyes on the child as a precaution from him potentially coming here and getting him," said Ford. Apparently, he added, there were indications the suspect might be on his way to get his child and that "he was acting in a strange, mental type of way."