Alexandria elementary school briefly on ‘secure the building’ status due to stolen vehicle arrest

The arrest of the driver of a stolen vehicle caused a temporary lockdown at William Ramsay Elementary School (5700 Sanger Avenue) earlier today.

Police said in a release that a stolen vehicle was recovered and the driver was arrested.

According to the release:

Currently there is a moderate police presence outside of William Ramsay Elementary School at 5700 Sanger Avenue. A stolen vehicle was recovered and the driver is in custody. There was no threat to students and faculty, however, the school is on temporary lockdown until the investigation concludes shortly.

Notification: There is a moderate police outside of Ramsay Elementary School due to the apprehension of a driver and a stolen vehicle. There was no threat to the school, however it’s currently on lockdown until the scene is cleared.

— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) November 17, 2023

William Ramsay Elementary School Principal Michael Routhouska said in an email to families that the school was on “secure the building” status from 12:35-12:42 p.m. today:

At about 12:35 p.m. today, William Ramsay Elementary School (Ramsay) was briefly placed in “secure the building” status in response to nearby police activity (unrelated to school operations). Ramsay resumed normal operations by 12:42 p.m.

The decision to secure Ramsay was taken out of an abundance of caution. “Secure the building” means that the school day continues on a normal schedule inside the school but no one is allowed to enter or leave the school while the building remains secured. An Alexandria City Public Schools video provides more information on what happens when a school is placed in “secure the building” mode.