Body Found Near Gwinnett School, Prompting Soft Lockdown

SNELLVILLE, GA — Centerville Elementary School was placed on a soft lockdown after an adult body was found near the campus Thursday, school Principal Bonita Banks said in a letter to families.

Patch has received and reviewed a copy of the letter, during which Banks said the discovery was made by a groundskeeper shortly after school began at the Centerville Highway campus.

Gwinnett County Police and school resource officers immediately responded, and Banks said she opted to put Centerville on a soft lockdown. Additionally, students had indoor recess.

In the letter, Banks said authorities believed the person died off-campus.

Police told Patch there are currently no signs of foul play and that the local medical examiner's office is investigating the death. An official cause of death and identity were not immediately known.

"I understand that this news is unsettling for our school community," Banks said in the letter. "I want to reassure you that our students and staff were never in any danger, and the school day was not disrupted. In fact, students and most staff members were unaware that the situation was occurring."

She added if students "see or hear something concerning or potentially threatening," they should report it.

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