Elyria School Lockdown Lifted After Armed Suspect Arrested
An Elyria City school was briefly placed on lockdown Thursday afternoon after a parent reported seeing a man with a gun in the Westwood Elementary parking lot.
The lockdown, which included both Westwood Elementary and the district’s administrative building, lasted about five minutes while the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office responded.
Deputies arrived six minutes after the 911 call and located the man, identified as Daymarion Donte Whitten, in a blue car in the school visitor’s parking lot.
A loaded 9mm firearm with an extended magazine was found under the seat, with the serial number defaced to conceal its identity. Whitten was arrested and is now held in the Lorain County Jail, facing multiple felony charges for possessing a firearm on school property while under disability due to a prior felony conviction.
The lockdown was lifted at 12:20 p.m., and all students and staff were reported safe. The entire response lasted approximately 25 minutes. As a precaution, the school remained in a lockout status, allowing school activities to continue inside while preventing anyone from entering the building.
This incident underscores the importance of children’s right to safety in schools, a fundamental protection ensuring that every child can learn and grow in a secure environment.
