Three Brown County schools were on partial lockdown this afternoon after police received news of a “student with a gun” at the junior high school.

Nashville Police Chief Ben Seastrom declined to say if the student actually had a gun, because of the ongoing investigation.

However, he said the student was not at the school at the time news of the threat was received.

Seastrom said it was relayed to police as a general threat, not specific to a particular person.

Superintendent David Shaffer – who has been out of town on a conference – said “only a handful” of students were at the junior high today. Most were on a trip to King’s Island – a reward for good behavior, attendance and grades.

Shaffer said the student who had made the threat was among the students remaining, and he had left school early.

Police checked the junior high and didn’t find him; they did make contact with a parent, Shaffer said.

Seastrom said police did learn later where the student was.

As a result of the situation, the principals of all three neighboring Nashville schools – the junior high, the high school and the intermediate school – were placed on “secured facility” status, Shaffer said.

“After the initial investigation was completed, the campus was found to be safe (and) all students returned to their normal class day,” Seastrom said in a press release.

“Any information on this threat or any like it needs to be reported immediately,” he said.