'Potential intruder' fatally shot by police after he tried to forcibly enter Alabama elementary school, authorities say

Donna Thornton and Celina Tebor, USA TODAY NETWORK
·2 min read
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A man who tried to force his way into an Alabama elementary school Thursday morning was shot and killed by police before he could enter, authorities said.

Gadsden City Schools Superintendent Tony Reddick said a “potential intruder” tried to enter Walnut Park Elementary School in Gadsden, Alabama, through multiple doors Thursday morning while several dozen children were on the campus for a summer literacy program and a Parks and Recreation summer camp. The town is located about 60 miles northeast of Birmingham.

Authorities didn’t immediately say whether the man was armed or why he might have been trying to get into the school.

The man was unsuccessful in entering the school. All the exterior doors were locked, Reddick said, and the principal contacted the school resource officer when she realized what was happening.

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The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said in a statement the school resource officer confronted the suspect after he tried to break into a marked police car. The two scuffled, and at some point the officer called for backup, according to Etowah County Sheriff Jonathon Horton.

The suspect was fatally shot after resisting and trying to take the resource officer's gun, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency statement, which did not say how many shots were fired or by whom.

Etowah County Coroner London Pearce identified the man as Robert Tyler White, 32. Pearce said the man lived in the Gadsden area; however, a news release from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said he was from Bunnlevel, North Carolina.

All the students were in another part of the building from where the suspect was trying to enter, Reddick said.

"The students didn't have a clue," the superintendent said.

The school had prepared for such incidents, with door locks, cameras and staff training about keeping unauthorized people out, Reddick said. He said the students had participated in safety training this week.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Gadsden, Alabama shooting: Man trying to enter school killed