Shots heard in the Hillsboro Schools neighborhood March 21 led to a lockdown of school district buildings, but authorities determined the noise came from people legally taking target practice on their own property far away.
School officials said people at various school buildings reported hearing rapid-fire shots from approximately 9-9:15 a.m. and contacted the Hillsboro Police and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Hillsboro Police Chief Charles Bennett said his department received a report of gunfire heard at Hillsboro High School, 123 Leon Hall Parkway Drive, and other buildings within the district.
“It turned out to be people taking target practice with firearms legally on their own property off of Hwy. BB,” Bennett said.
Hillsboro R-3 Superintendent Aaron Cornman said the district went into its lowest of three stages of lockdown – students and staff could move about within their buildings, but no one could get enter or leave – until an investigation was completed.
He said the lockdown was a standard precautionary procedure.
“(Authorities) did a search of the area,” he said. “They think since it was a windy day the noise carried beyond where it would normally.”