The Cairo-Durham Elementary school went into lockout status around 2 p.m., Tue., Dec. 15 after "a potential issue was reported," to the school office. According to one account, there was a report of a suspicious person loitering outside of the building. Normal activities continued inside, but all comings and goings were stopped and local and state police were called. A brief investigation was conducted, but nothing was found and school was dismissed on time. Uniformed and plain clothed law enforcement assisted with dismissal, as an "added safety measure," according to the Cairo-Durham school district website. In a robocall to parents around 4 p.m. Dec. 15, and in the announcement posted at the district website, officials emphasized that the school was never in a lockdown situation. In lockout the potential danger is believed to be outside of the school. In the case of a lockdown, the perceived danger is inside of the building.