Alleged Gunman Tries to Enter Hope High School

The search continues for an armed man who allegedly tried to force his way into Hope High School.

Police say just after 10:30 Tuesday morning, the suspect tried to convince students to let him in the New Tech Building. However they started screaming, and a faculty member then confronted the man.

The faculty member reportedly said the man told her he may go to the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope, so police were sent there and both schools were placed on lockdown.

A person matching the description of the man was then seen entering the Canyon Creek Apartments. Hope Police Chief, James Wilson, says his officers then focused on that area.

"We cornered off the building, searched it with negative results. Then we canvased the whole apartment complex also with negative results."

While Hope High School was on lockdown, parents were concerned.

"You hear it on TV everyday, but you never think it'll get this close to home," said Lillie Nelson.

One woman was there picking up her cousin described the scene as chaos.

"Just everybody running around, people just trying to get their kids out."

Lillie Nelson got a call from her daughter saying to come get her immediately.

"It scared me, so I just took off, dropped everything I was doing."

She waited for almost an hour, before she knew if her kids were alright.

"When I was there I heard the man was in the school, and I was hoping nobody got hurt."

Nathaniel Thomas went to pick up his two grandchildren.

"I didn't think anything like this could happen here, but it did."

And he says words can't describe how he felt when his two boys walked out of the school.

"It was definitely a sigh of relief and I was happy to see them because I love them, and I don't want to see anything happen to them."

While school officials and parents say everybody acted quickly and appropriately, many are now left with the question of, what's next?

Hope Schools' Superintendent, Bobby Hart, is doing what he can to get answers.

"We're looking right now at all of our security cameras to get a positive I.D. and hopefully those cameras will be able to tell us more."

And with 679 students, he says the best thing now is to move forward.

"Our hope is to just get back to normal tomorrow as soon as we can. We understand that student safety is a paramount issue, and we want to address that first."

The school is asking for more police to be on campus for the next few days.

The suspect is described as 6'0" tall, between 170-180 pounds with braided shoulder length hair. He was wearing blue jeans and a blue t-shirt or jacket at the time of the incident.

Police also aren't sure of a motive at this time either.