3:05 P.M. UPDATE:

Look for a gallery of exclusive photos from the evacuation at the end of this story.

1:55 p.m. UPDATE:

All students and faculty have been safely evacuated from Elephant’s Fork Elementary School to King’s Fork High School.

They left the elementary school on foot, according to an eyewitness, who said they headed onto a blockaded U.S. Route 58 and then into buses, which hauled them away from the scene.

A parent at the scene said he had received word that the children were taken to King’s Fork High School.

At 1:53 p.m., police scanner chatter indicated that “the last three members of the staff” had been taken from the school, “and everything’s clear.”

 

1:40 p.m. UPDATE:

At least one Elephant’s Fork Elementary School teacher has been able to help calm parents’ nerves during the lockdown of the school on Monday.

Parent Pete Williams said he had received a text message earlier today from a number he thought belonged to the school system.

“We continue to be in code yellow,” the message stated. “We have moved to the gym and are safe and secure The lockdown continues but each child is safe. Police presence all around school and in school. Situation is isolated outside WAVY 10 online is posting updates. We are safe.”

Williams said he called the number back and was surprised to reach his daughter’s fifth-grade teacher, who then let him speak to his daughter.

Meanwhile, police have closed a portion of U.S. Route 58 near the school, and school system dispatchers are rerouting buses bound for John Yeates Middle School, King’s Fork High School and other bus routes involving the cordoned area to other locations.

Virginia State Police are planning a press conference near the command center that has been set up at William Reid Drive soon, according to sources at the scene.

About a dozen parents and onlookers are waiting at the scene.

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Elephant’s Fork Elementary School was locked down Monday morning while state and local police were involved in an operation at a nearby property on William Reid Drive.

The operation stemmed from the serving of a warrant for obtaining money by false pretenses by arson, according to Sgt. Michelle Anaya of the State Police.

Anaya declined to state the name of the individual listed in the warrant and did not know what time police had attempted to serve it, but she said that the suspect would not come out of the house.

Anaya said she did not know if weapons are involved and she declined to characterize the incident as a standoff.

In a recorded message to parents, Elephant’s Fork principal Andre Skinner said: “Because of a situation across the street, the police have blocked entrance to the school, and the school is currently in lock down.”

“ Your child is safe and will remain in their classroom until the police give clearance,” the message continued. “It is not necessary to call the school, and you will not be able to come to the school. I will call you again once the incident is resolved.”

Law enforcement resources at the scene included Suffolk Police Department’s mobile command unit, at least one military-style tactical vehicle, tactical response officers and a canopy shelter.