LATEST: Man taken into custody near Huntington Elementary had a vaping device, not a gun, school officials say

A man was arrested near Huntington Elementary after police got reports he had a gun and was threatening an employee. 

Lincoln Police arrested Brian Elliott, 44, for the disturbance. 

The employee reported that Elliott yelled at her, raised his hand which held something that looked like a gun. 

The threat prompted school officials to place Huntington in lock out mode shortly after 8 a.m., with over a dozen police officers arriving on scene. The scare had some parents very nervous.

“My whole body shut down, but all I knew is that I had to get here and get my kids and make sure they were there,” said Huntington Elementary parent, Shakayla Phillips.

Police say Elliott was not in possession of a gun when he was arrested.

While LPS says it was a vaping device, Lincoln Police told us that they have not confirmed what the item was.

A lockout is when there is a threat outside the school, all exterior doors are locked and access to the school is limited however learning isn’t disrupted. 

Lincoln Public Schools sent an email to Huntington families around 9:15 a.m. saying no students or staff were in danger.

Phillips said the school should be letting parents know what is happening right away.

“If the school and staff are busy, I feel the school district needs to let parents, and families know exactly whats going on at that moment, we shouldn’t have to get on no social media to figure out that our kids school is on lockout at 8:30 in the morning, right when we are dropping kids off or kids are walking to the building,” said Phillips.

Since some students were still arriving when the threat was being investigated, Lincoln Police officers were stationed near the doorway and escorted students into the building. 

If you want to learn more about the lockout action and their protocol in situations like this one, click here.