Two Cedar Rapids schools placed on ‘limited lockdown’ Friday

CEDAR RAPIDS - Two Cedar Rapids schools were placed on partial lockdown Friday after a driver fled an abandoned vehicle with a gun found near it.

Pierce Elementary School and Kennedy High School were on limited lockdown as police and a K-9 unit searched the area near the abandoned vehicle, located at Meadow Lane NE and 42nd Street NE, according to an email statement from Maria Johnson, Cedar Rapids spokeswoman. The schools were on limited lockdown for just over an hour.

'It was primarily a police department matter,” Cedar Rapids Community School District spokeswoman Akwi Nji said. 'It wasn't anything to do with internal activity in the buildings.”

The incident started around noon Friday when officers were called to a Wal-Mart on suspicion of fraud and theft.

Officers who responded to the call saw a suspect vehicle leaving the lot and tried to stop it. The driver fled southbound on I-380 at 'a high-rate speed” so officers chose not to chase the vehicle because of the driver's reckless driving, the email said.

Not long after, citizens reported seeing the abandoned car, with its driver was fleeing southbound on foot.

The suspect was not located but police believe the suspect is no longer a threat and left the area, the email said.

The incident still is under investigation.

l Comments: (319) 398-8330; molly.duffy@thegazette.com

Reporters Lee Hermiston and Molly Duffy contributed to this report.