WCOM NEWS

5-21-04

Miramar school locked down as police hunt gunman

MIRAMAR--St. Stephen Catholic Church's school was locked down for more than two hours Friday morning while police hunted a gunman in the neighborhood.

The gunman was never found, Officer Bill Robertson, police spokesman said. The school, which enrolls pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students at its campus on State Road7/U.S. 441, was reopened around 10:30 a.m. No injuries were reported.

Here's what Robertson said happened:

The incident started around 7:30 a.m. when shots were reported fired at a house on the 2300 block of Southwest 63rd Avenue. Police went to the home and approached the front door. A man with a gun opened the door, then slammed it shut. Backup officers were called in, a perimeter set up and a SWAT team was summoned.

Police later entered the house to determine if the man was still inside or if there were any hostages. They found neither. The house was empty. Officers believe the gunman fled out the back door of the house soon after slamming the front door. A search of the neighborhood turned up nothing suspicious.

( source) Sun Sentinel 5-21-04