By Jeff Devine, Editor-in-Chief, Dale County Chronicle
D.A. Smith Middle School in Ozark briefly heightened security Friday afternoon after a single bullet was discovered outside the school building but on campus, according to a message sent to parents by Principal Stephen Phillips.
The alert, issued at 3:04 p.m., stated that school administrators immediately notified law enforcement and initiated their standard search procedures. Ozark Police Department officers responded and quickly determined that there was no ongoing threat.
“Parents, earlier today, a single bullet was found outside on the campus of D.A. Smith Middle School,” Phillips wrote. “Administration responded quickly, alerting authorities and following our search procedures. Local law enforcement determined the campus to be safe.”
Phillips emphasized the district’s commitment to student safety and thanked officers for their support. “Ozark City Schools take safety very seriously, and we thank OPD for helping us take extra care of our campus and kids,” he said.
Classes continued without disruption after the investigation was completed. School officials did not indicate whether the bullet was linked to any individual.
The Dale County Chronicle has reached out to both Stephen Phillips at Smith Middle School and the Ozark Police Department for additional information. Phillips did not immediately respond to our messages, as it was after school hours, but we will update this breaking news story once we hear back from him.
Commander Niles with Ozark Police Department confirmed that a bullet was found and that the department worked quickly and properly to secure the school and ensure that there was no threat. “There is no threat to public safety. We did what we always do, and we worked the scene and declared it safe to the public,” Commander Niles stated.
