Alleged threat results in AISD ‘lock-out’

By Melinda L. Lucas

A “lock-out” at both Albany school campuses on Friday morning, Jan. 31, called by administrators because of parent concerns, lasted less than an hour, and even though local law enforcement picked up an Albany man as a result, it was not thought that students or staff were ever in any danger.

According to Shackelford County sheriff Edward Miller, Lino Martinez was taken into custody a little after 10:00 a.m. on an “emergency detention order for psychiatric services,” and was transported that afternoon to a medical facility.

Martinez was not arrested, according to Albany police chief Mike House, and he was not armed when Miller found him walking on South Main Street, nowhere near either campus.

Parent Concerns

AISD superintendent Jonathan Scott reported the incident to the News at 10:15 a.m. Friday, just a few minutes after the lock-out was lifted.

Scott said that he received a call from elementary principal John Gallagher at about 9:30 a.m. informing him that the NSES office had been receiving calls from parents about a rumor of an individual in town threatening to “shoot up the school.”

The superintendent instructed Gallagher to call immediately for a “lock-out,” securing all doors, pulling outside classes back into the building, and not allowing anyone to enter or leave the building.

Even though the NSES staff was informed, instruction and other activities continued, which is different from what would have occurred with a full lockdown.

Scott then informed secondary principal Edward Morales about the situation and learned that Morales had also received communication about the alleged threat and had already locked the exterior doors to the junior high and high school buildings.

There were parents coming to both campuses to check their students out of classes, Scott said.

“I contacted law enforcement as I drove to the elementary school to begin investigating the legitimacy of the rumored threat,” said Scott.

Police chief House told the News that the superintendent called him directly, and he in turn advised county sheriff Edward Miller and the DPS.

Officers were sent immediately to both campuses, while other law enforcement personnel began searching for Martinez.

Miller located and “made contact with” Martinez less than a half hour later. 

He was wearing a backpack containing a sports drink and several other items but was not armed, Miller said.

“We had been keeping an eye on him because of some other reports,” said House. “We take anything like this very seriously, and we try to be discreet, but we have to act based on what information is coming in.”

Martinez had posted some remarks, photos, and reportedly at least one video on his Facebook page a couple of days earlier that named several high school students along with a number of other local citizens.

The posts had been reviewed by Scott, Morales, and law enforcement the previous day.

“At no time did the individual threaten to ‘shoot up the school,’ as rumored,” said Scott. “He did use the words mass shootings and school (in one of his online posts), but not together. We did not believe at that time the post (by itself) presented an immediate threat.”

The posts, in addition to an event with Martinez that had occurred off-campus earlier in the day, were what apparently prompted the concern by parents on Friday morning.

“There were evidently some assumptions being made, and we don’t believe there was ever a direct threat made by the individual toward the school,” said Scott.

The superintendent commented that he believed that the staff and local law enforcement responded well to the concern.

 Early Friday afternoon, Scott and other administrators had already met to discuss what could be done better.

Even though the superintendent mentioned that internal communication could have been more efficient, he was pleased with the quick response and outcome.

“Within 45 minutes of the initial call, the individual was apprehended off-campus without incident,” Scott said.

Other local officers who responded to the incident were DPS trooper Chad Overton and county deputy Steve Mabry.

Several troopers were en route from other locations, but were diverted after the subject was found.

House said Tuesday that the incident is still under investigation.