School Lockdowns In Sussex Came After Shots Fired In Hartland

SUSSEX, WI — Multiple schools in Sussex went under a lockdown Thursday afternoon amid a police chase that began with a report of shots fired in Hartland, according to authorities.

Hartland police were first dispatched to a business on Richards Road just before 2:30 p.m. for a report of a man shooting at vehicles in a parking lot, according to a news release from the Waukesha County Sheriff's Office. The suspect fled, but a deputy later found the vehicle in Sussex, sparking a pursuit, authorities said.

Eventually, the suspect turned his vehicle into a condo complex on Water Tower Court and ran into a home, police said. The Waukesha County Tactical Enforcement Unit responded and a 37-year-old man was arrested without further incident, authorities said.

The pursuit led to lockdowns for Hamilton High School, Templeton Middle School, Silver Spring Intermediate School, Willow Springs Elementary School and Woodside Elementary, police said. Further, a shelter-in-place message was sent out to residents near Tower Court.

The tactical situation kept Woodside Elementary in lockdown throughout the situation, while other schools were able to release students just before 5 p.m.

"We thank the public as well as school staff for being able to deal with the inconvenience this caused at the end of the school day," the sheriff's office said.

Law enforcement planned to forward charges to the Waukesha County District Attorney for resisting/obstructing an officer and fleeing/eluding. Authorities said no threat remains to the community.