Car theft suspect runs through Palmetto High campus. Rumors of a shooting were false
Palmetto High School was briefly placed on lockdown Monday morning, after a car theft suspect ran through campus, sparking false rumors of a shooting, according to the Palmetto Police Department and Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect was unarmed but misinformation quickly spread on the campus, 1200 17th St.. W. Many students ran off campus and toward the Hungry Howie’s Pizza restaurant at the intersection of 17th Street West and Eighth Avenue West. Parents reported getting messages from the students, prompting many to rush to the campus to sign their children out of the school early.
Sheriff’s deputies had been chasing the suspect when he entered Palmetto’s city limits and abandoned the stolen car along 17th Street West, according to Palmetto Chief of Police Scott Tyler.
“The person who stole the car, did run briefly through the campus, in an effort to get away,”said Tyler, who assisted in capturing the suspect.
School resources officers on the campus alerted school administration and the high school was placed on lockdown, according to the chief. The lockdown lasted less than 10 minutes, according to school district spokesman Mike Barber.
Herald staffer Giuseppe Sabella contributed to this report.
This story was originally published November 2, 2020 at 1:27 PM.
