Page County school locked down, one person in custody

Shenandoah Elementary School, Shenandoah VirginiaPhoto byPage County Public Schools

SHENANDOAH, Va. – On Thursday, March 30, a local elementary school was placed on lockdown after a suspicious individual was reported near the school.

Late in the morning, parents received a text alert notification from Page County Public Schools (PCPS) that a lockdown was in effect at Shenandoah Elementary, and that police were already on site performing a full security sweep of the school and grounds.

The alert stated that the lockdown would remain in place until law enforcement completely secured the area, but assured parents that all students and staff were safe.

A subsequent alert informed parents that students would be dismissed at 12:30 p.m. and safely transported to nearby Fields United Methodist Church. No additional information was released by the school district or law enforcement at that time. It was announced, however, that a press conference conducted by school officials and law enforcement would be held in the school parking lot later in the day.

The 4 p.m. press briefing began with PCPS Superintendent Dr. Antonia Fox approaching the podium to introduce herself, staff and law enforcement. Attendees included Commonwealth Attorney Brian Cave, Shenandoah Elementary Principal Corey Harlow, and Page County Sheriff Chad Cubbage.

“We recognize that today was stressful and scary for many of us,” said Fox. “Our preparation ensured that school students and staff knew what to do in the event of an emergency, and today they followed those procedures.”

Reading from a prepared statement, Sheriff Cubbage addressed key moments of the day’s events.

At 10:32 a.m., a citizen called Shenandoah Elementary School offices to report that a man across from the school appeared to be carrying a gun. Staff immediately called 911. A teacher within the school also activated the emergency button on the LifeSpot app, which transmitted an alert about a possible threat in or near the building. The app, designed to keep students and staff safe in the event of an active threat, was adopted by PCPS in November of 2022. LifeSpot quickly notifies staff and law enforcement of specific threats and provides a way for them to actively communicate during and after an emergency event.

By 10:38 a.m., officers from the Shenandoah Police Department, Page County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police and National Park Service had responded to the school. Page County Fire and Rescue and the Shenandoah Volunteer Fire Department arrived, and Page County Emergency Management Director Matt Cronin arrived to coordinate efforts on scene.

Once at the school, law enforcement began an immediate, thorough sweep of the hallways, classrooms and perimeter. After they had control of the building, officers safely escorted students and staff to the auditorium. School personnel ensured that everyone was accounted for, and proceeded to move the students to the nearby church. School counselors and division staff remained with students as they awaited pickup by parents or authorized guardians.

As law enforcement continued the on-scene investigation, a person of interest was identified, detained and interviewed at the school. What initially appeared to be a gun and holster on the individual’s side turned out to be a knife and sheath. Virginia law prohibits anyone from possessing a non-folding knife over 3 inches on school grounds.

The person of interest, Thomas Benjamin Loving, 46, was charged with violating Virginia code 18.2-308.1, Possession of firearm, stun weapon, or other weapon on school property, which is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

“This investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be pending,” said Cubbage.

PCPS announced that Shenandoah Elementary School would be closed to students on Friday, March 31, with staff expected to report by 9 a.m. All other schools in the division will operate as usual.

Fox indicated that even though there is no known or ongoing threat, all district schools will have an increased police presence on Friday.

“We’re grateful for our partnership with law enforcement, emergency services and fire and rescue for their prompt response and assistance,” she said.

Due to the ongoing investigation into Thursday’s events, there were no questions taken at the press conference, and no additional details have been released.

“We want to thank the students, the parents and the staff of Shenandoah Elementary School for their calm response, and for listening carefully to the instructions of law enforcement,” said Superintendent Fox. “We want to say, to all of you, that we’re very proud of you.”