A man was shot in the head near the intersection of SE 44th Street and South Sunnylane Road in Del City, and the armed suspect remained at large as officers searched the area, prompting nearby Townsend Elementary School to go into lockdown.
The victim's wound was confirmed by KOKH, which reported that Townsend Elementary remained on lockdown as the manhunt for the armed suspect continued.
Townsend Elementary sits at 4000 Epperly Drive, less than a mile north of the shooting scene, according to the Mid-Del School District. That short distance is why the campus was swiftly locked down while officers searched the area, per the same account.
A Neighborhood With a History of Lockdowns
This is not the first time violence near the school has forced Townsend Elementary into emergency mode. In September 2024, the campus was placed on a full-day lockdown after an armed suspect fled on foot following a neighborhood shooting nearby, as reported by KOCO 5 News. Officers secured the building that day even as children were arriving for class, the station noted.
The area has also seen more severe violence in recent years. In August 2023, a 27-year-old man was arrested and charged after confessing to beating his 18-year-old sister to death in a park located directly behind the school, according to Law & Crime. That homicide occurred just hours after police had posted about school safety measures ahead of the new academic year, per the outlet's report.
Hoodline previously reported on a fatal shooting on South Bryant Avenue in September that led to a juvenile suspect's arrest.
State Law Mandates Panic-Alert Systems
Oklahoma has enacted Alyssa's Law, officially House Bill 4073, which requires public schools to implement mobile panic-alert systems, according to CENTEGIX.
The campus itself is also in transition: Mid-Del Schools said a groundbreaking ceremony for a replacement Townsend Elementary building is still in the works. The new facility is scheduled to open for students in 2027.
