2 Grants Pass schools locked down due to outside threats

GRANTS PASS Ore. (KPTV) - Two Grants Pass schools were locked down separately on two consecutive days because of outside threats, police reported on Tuesday.

At 11:54 a.m. on Tuesday the Grants Pass Police Department requested to have North Middle School and Highland Elementary go into “Secure” status as they tracked a wanted fugitive who was on the run in the area. “Secure” status is used when schools aren’t believed to be in immediate danger, the schools move the children indoors, lock all exterior doors, and go about business as usual.

At 1:45 p.m., the “secure” status was lifted after police found and arrested Shawn Timothy Oleary, who had been hiding in a shed on Northwest Blossom Drive. Oleary was booked at the Josephine County Jail for multiple felony warrants, possession of a gun, and possession of a felony quantity of Fentanyl.

Police reported a similar situation on Monday when Grants Pass High School was placed into a “secure” status due to a potential threat about a person bringing a gun to the campus. For the safety of the students, the “secure” protocol was used until the subject suspected of the threat was located and the threat determined to be unfounded. The securing of the campus, since it was near the end of the school day, caused a delay for parents picking up children from the campus and buses leaving the campus.

The Grants Pass Police Department thanked the community for their patience and understanding.