PALM BAY, FL. (THECOUNT) — Palm Bay police are responding in numbers to a reported shooting during student arrival at the nearby Port Malabar Elementary. A suspect has barricaded himself inside a nearby residence, police said Thursday morning.
The tense incident is occurring in the area of South Babcock Street & Fallon Boulevard Northeast, in Palm Bay, FL.
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Officials said the shooting is at a residence but would not say whether there were fatalities or injuries.
Police are asking residents to avoid the area of Port Malabar Elementary School.
Area schools were placed on lockdown.
SWAT team members are gathered at a residence and ambulance and fire personnel are staged nearby, reports FloridaToday.
Ambulances and Fire Rescue all were seen arriving to the scene.
Palm Bay police are expected to give an update shortly.
The shooting happened during student arrival at the nearby Port Malabar Elementary, according to Nicki Hensley, a spokeswoman for Brevard Public Schools.
The school was placed briefly on lockdown as police ushered children into the school, Hensley said. Some parents still waiting to drop off their children were told to stay put in their cars.
Classes resumed about 8:20 a.m., but students and staff were told to shelter in place, Hensley said.
The incident also affected some buses at Stone Middle School, she said.
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Geo quick facts: Palm Bay is a city in Brevard County, Florida. The city’s population was 103,190 at the 2010 United States Census, making it the most populous city in the county. It developed at Turkey Creek at the mouth of Indian River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean – Wikipedia.