Lockdown At 2 South Austin Schools Lifted

SOUTH AUSTIN, TX — Two schools that had been placed on lock-down mode on Tuesday amid reports of an armed person in the area were later given the all-clear.

Austin ISD Police Chief Ashley A. Gonzalez said via Twitter that Travis High School and Travis Heights Elementary School were both placed on lock-down late Tuesday afternoon after classes had been dismissed. A heavy police presence was reported in the area as part of a resulting investigation.

By 5 p.m., officials gave an all-clear after no lingering threat was found. It's unclear whether the person reported as having had a weapon was lawfully allowed to carry one or had it holstered per the state's "open carry" law allowing such displays as championed by Gov. Greg Abbott before its Jan. 1, 2016, passage. Since the law's enactment, sightings of people toting their firearms as a show of their 2nd Amendment rights have become increasingly common throughout the state.