Four schools in the Madras area were placed in secure lockout status for nearly three hours Friday morning after a citizen reported seeing a man walking near campus with what appeared to be a rifle during morning drop-off. The situation ended without incident once law enforcement located the individual and confirmed he was carrying an Airsoft pellet rifle with no threatening intent.
Jefferson County Sheriff Jason Pollock said Frontier Dispatch received the initial call at 7:31 a.m., reporting an individual walking toward Buff Elementary while possibly carrying a firearm. Schools affected included Madras High School, Bridges High School, Buff Elementary, and Madras Elementary. All four were placed in secure status just before 8 a.m. The lockout was lifted at approximately 10:45 a.m.
Multi-Agency Response
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Madras Police Department, and Oregon State Police all responded to the scene. Using descriptions provided by callers, officers located the person of interest and determined he posed no threat.
"With descriptions provided, we were able to locate the individual and discovered it was a pellet gun and the individual had no intention of going into the schools or causing any harm," Sheriff Pollock said in a written statement. "The schools are no longer in lockdown mode and have returned to their normal daily schedules."
Pollock said the response followed the standard "I Love U Guys" school safety protocol, which is practiced regularly by district staff. No shots were fired at any point during the incident.
School District: 'No Threat' to Students
Jefferson County School District 509J Superintendent Jay Mathisen confirmed the man was spotted several blocks away from the schools — far enough that the buildings themselves were never in immediate danger. During the lockout, exterior doors were locked and no one entered or left without authorization. Parents who came to retrieve their children were able to do so through a supervised controlled-release process.
"There was no threat," Mathisen told KTVZ News. "We had a great response from law enforcement — they were here in a heartbeat, made some great decisions. Our staff did a really good job."
Friday afternoon athletics and extracurricular events were not affected, as the lockout was resolved well before midday. "Fortunately, we didn't have to cross that bridge," Mathisen said.
Community Context
The incident came roughly three weeks after a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend heightened awareness of school safety across Central Oregon. Mathisen acknowledged the anxiety that backdrop created for Madras parents.
"We certainly understand and completely respect their choices to be with their kiddos," he said, noting that many parents called or came to campus seeking information.
Sheriff Pollock urged the public to remain calm during such incidents and avoid sharing unverified information on social media. "The safety of our students, school staff and the community remains our highest priority," he said, thanking educators, parents, and partner agencies for their measured response.