photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The Lawrence school district offices building, located at 110 McDonald Dr., is pictured in May 2025.

Updated at 5:32 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026.

Four Lawrence schools initiated lockout safety protocols Thursday as officers investigated reports of a person behaving strangely, according to a press release from the Lawrence Police Department.

Lawrence High, Liberty Memorial Central Middle and Cordley and Schwegler Elementary schools were all on lockout Thursday afternoon after officers were called to 19th and Massachusetts streets on reports of a man behaving strangely who may have had a gun.

As school resource officers locked down the schools, other officers began a search shortly after 1 p.m. They found an “extremely combative” man in the 900 block of Vermont, who was restrained and taken to the Douglas County Correctional Facility. He was not armed, but will face several potential charges, including possession of drug paraphernalia, the release said.

A communication from the Lawrence school district sent to families around 2:30 p.m. said “Lawrence Police Department has reported that an individual has been detained, and that school buildings are ALL CLEAR. Normal dismissal for Lawrence High and Liberty Memorial Central Middle School.”  

Parent-teacher conferences are being held this week, so there was no school on Thursday for students in Pre-K through fifth grade. There will also be no school on Friday for all students, Pre-K through 12th grade.