HOOD RIVER, Ore. (AP) — Police were searching for a shooter Thursday afternoon in the city of Hood River, Oregon, putting schools and businesses on lockdown and warning residents to stay indoors.
Officers were evacuating residents from the area around a Dairy Queen, the The Hood River Police Department said. It said on Facebook at about 12:40 p.m. the situation was happening “right now” and that updates would follow. The Dairy Queen is near several large stores, including a Walmart and a supermarket.
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An employee at the Dairy Queen told KGW-TV by phone that the restaurant was shut down and the area was being evacuated. Staff at the nearby Lone Pine Motel told the television station that police said they were working to locate a shooter. Staff at the Hair & Nail Studio said police told them to lock their doors and stay inside.
The Hood River County School District said on Facebook that they had placed nearby schools in “secure status” at about 12:30 p.m., meaning students and staff were inside the buildings with no one allowed to enter or exit.
School activities are continuing inside, but the district asked parents not to come to campuses until the secure status was lifted.
The Oregon Department of Transportation’s Trip Check map showed the eastbound ramp from Interstate 84 to Hood River closed because of police activity at 12:45 p.m.
Hood River is a city of about 8,000 on a bluff over the Columbia River, about an hour east of Portland, Oregon. It’s known for as a mecca for windsurfing and kitesurfing, wineries, fruit orchards and beautiful scenery in the Columbia River Gorge. It is also near Mount Hood, and many visit for skiing.