Lockdown at Las Vegas middle school extends well into night after mercury exposure

Associated Press

Published Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016 | 12:37 p.m.

Updated Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016 | 12:15 a.m.

A Las Vegas middle school that canceled Thursday classes after a student brought mercury to school Wednesday morning remained on lockdown overnight as students waited to be screened for contamination.

The hazmat situation at Walter Johnson Junior High School, located near Buffalo and Alta drives, began shortly before noon Wednesday after the toxic substance was brought into the gym by a student, authorities said.

At least five children were exposed to the mercury. Las Vegas Fire & Rescue officials said children were being screened for mercury residue by the Environmental Protection Agency and a fire department hazardous materials team before being released from school.

As of 8 p.m., several hundred students were still at the school waiting to be checked, officials said. As of about midnight, an unknown number of students remained on campus to be tested.

Officials said late Wednesday that additional support staff was brought in to help with the EPA screening and that students were being allowed to eat as they wait.

Earlier, authorities deemed the area safe and said no one was injured.

Sun reporter Jesse Granger contributed to this report.