*UPDATE 05/10/2023* – Tuesday afternoon deputies from the Lane County Sheriff’s Office received information that some Mapleton Elementary students observed a person wearing dark clothing and possibly armed with a rifle near the school track. The person reportedly departed on foot into a nearby tree line and something that sounded similar to several gunshots was heard from the general direction. The Mapleton schools were placed on lockdown and multiple law enforcement agencies including the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, Florence Police Department, and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office responded. The Lane County Sheriff’s Office realizes that school lockdowns and a large police response to a school causes anxiety and unrest within a community. The Lane County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the parents, school staff and students for their cooperation and patience in allowing responders to ensure that the reported threat was safely investigated. A substantial search of the area failed to locate any armed persons or other suspicious conditions. Investigators contacted an area resident who had been conducting residential repairs with a loud nail gun at approximately the same time that the possible gun shots were heard. It remains unclear if the person spotted by the track was armed with a firearm or carrying another item at the time that they were observed by students. Investigators believe there to be no threat to the public. Classes at the Mapleton School District have resumed normal operations as of Wednesday. As a precaution the Lane County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon State Police provided an extra presence in the area Wednesday.
