A partial lockdown swept through Edward E. Drew Middle School on Wednesday afternoon after a driver brandished a firearm during a dispute nearby, prompting deputies to canvass the area for the suspect.
According to the Stafford County Sheriff's Office, the confrontation began around 3:00 p.m. Wednesday when one driver followed another near Fox Chase Boulevard before pulling a gun, as detailed in reporting by Daily Voice. The suspect then drove back to Langley Oaks Court, and deputies later located him and recovered the firearm as evidence.
Deputies canvassed the surrounding neighborhood for the suspect's vehicle after the sheriff's office reported that a firearm had been brandished near Fox Chase Boulevard. The search led investigators to identify the suspect as 55-year-old Reginald Buie, of Stafford, who was charged with brandishing a firearm and later released on a personal recognizance bond.
Why the School Locked Down
Because the incident unfolded close to Drew Middle School, administrators placed the campus on a partial lockdown as a precaution while deputies worked the scene. The school used a partial lockdown rather than a full building lockdown while deputies responded to the nearby incident.
The lockdown at the school, which enrolls roughly 615 to 625 students in grades 6 through 8 under Principal Amy Ivory, was lifted shortly after deputies determined the incident had no connection to the campus. Drew Middle School sits at 501 Cambridge Street in Falmouth, within Stafford County.
Legal Stakes and What Happens Next
Under Virginia Code § 18.2-282, brandishing a firearm in a way that reasonably induces fear of being shot or injured is a Class 1 misdemeanor, carrying up to 12 months in jail and a fine as high as $2,500. Had the confrontation occurred on school grounds or within 1,000 feet of one, the same statute would have elevated the charge to a Class 6 felony.
Buie was released on a personal recognizance bond after being charged with brandishing a firearm. The available information does not specify where he was booked or where the release decision was made. It also does not identify the court handling the charge.
It remains unclear what sparked the initial dispute between the two drivers or whether Buie and the other driver knew each other. The sheriff's office has not indicated when Buie is due in court.
School Safety Response
The lockdown occurred as deputies responded to the incident near Drew Middle School. The available information does not address automated speed-enforcement cameras or citations near schools.
Wednesday's scare also isn't the first time a Stafford County school has triggered a lockdown that turned out to have no active threat. Stafford High School was briefly locked down after an accidental alarm activation, though the available report does not specify when it occurred or whether the system was newly installed.
