Francis Howell Schools on Lockdown After Report of Shooting

Update at 2:55 p.m.

St. Charles County Sheriff's Department Spokesman Lt. Craig McGuire has confirmed a shooting took place in the 100 block of Park Charles Boulevard South. McGuire said the department received a call at 11 a.m.

Two males, ages 15- and 18-years-old, were walking down Park Charles Boulevard South. The two males saw a car drive around the block when a person in the car fired three shots. No one was injured in the shooting and no homes were reported damaged.

McGuire said the shooter is believed to be a white male in his teens or early 20s wearing a black hat. The car is dark red or burgundy with tinted windows and could be a Mazda.

Police said the gun used was a pistol. 

Schools in the Francis Howell School District were put on exterior lockdown around 11:45 a.m. today after there was a report of shots fired in the Park Charles Boulevard South area, which is located in unincorporated St. Charles County near Fairmount Elementary School. 

District spokeswoman Jennifer Henry said the exterior lockdown was a precaution because the St. Charles County Sheriff's Department was still looking for the alleged shooter. 

St. Charles County Sheriff's Department Spokesman Lt. Craig McGuire said the department was still investigating the incident but that as of 1 p.m. Thursday, there was no physical evidence a shooting took place. He was waiting on more information from the officers at the scene. 

Exterior lockdown means the exterior doors of the school are locked and students aren't allowed to do activities outdoors, like gym or recess. School continues as normal inside, said Henry. A full lockdown would be when the interior doors of a school are locked, the lights are turned off and students and teachers are out of sight of doors and windows. 

Henry said the district was waiting to find out more information from the Sheriff's Department before calling off the lockdown. She said if they got no new information, they would make a decision about after school activities. 

"A large portion of the schools were affected because of where it was located," she said. "It was easier to notify everyone at once and go into that safety mode, rather than try to make individual calls."