Lyon County worker shooting squirrels in park triggers school lockdown

DAYTON — Reports of a man with a gun that caused a brief lockdown at a Northern Nevada school turned out to be a county employee shooting squirrels at a nearby park.

The Reno Gazette Journal reports that the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office received a call Wednesday morning with reports of a man with a rifle at a park across the street from Dayton Elementary School, 12 miles northeast of Carson City.

School Superintendent Wayne Workman said deputies responded immediately and doors were locked for about 20 minutes before they determined a Lyon County employee with a pellet gun was trying to address a problem with squirrels in the park.

County Manager Jeff Page says the county is investigating the incident. He says they plan to look for alternative ways to eradicate the rodents in the future.