Two schools in the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District were suddenly shuttered this week when a man supposedly connected to a domestic violence incident nearby became the focus of a manhunt. Randle High School and Gray Elementary closed their doors on Tuesday and Wednesday, reported KIAH. Officials cited an active police investigation and a violent and dangerous suspect as the cause for concern. The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office, however, hasn't verified whether any threats against the schools were made.
As temperatures rose both outside and in parents’ group chats, an LCISD spokesperson finally shed light on the mystery, confirming to ABC13 that the closures followed news of a domestic violence incident enveloping a "member of their school community." With no specific threats to the schools voiced, the decision to lock up was still taken, supposedly erring on the side of caution. Parental anxieties weren’t helped, since the suspect, named Jaime Ediel Buentello, 33, remained at large. The suspect now faces charges for burglary of a habitation with intent to commit assault.
Caught between a rock and a hard place were local parents, who faced choppy waters navigating the district's limited information. "I wasn't going to chance it, not on the last day of school that's a half day anyway," one mother confessed in an ABC13 interview, choosing the safety of her child over the classroom. Parents held their kids back, exercising their judgment in absence of clarity, while pondering the balances of employment against potential peril. They were essentially cast to make critical choices alone, some opting for home over the haze of security at school.
After kicking off the hunt on Sunday at an address arms reach away from Gray Elementary, the FBCSO identified Buentello and plastered the town with his description. In cooperation with the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force, their bid is ongoing, determined to find the accused. While the law quietly works its angle, officials appealed to the public, urging anyone with information to put through to the Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers, promising anonymity at 281-342-TIPS (8477).
