Four central Columbia schools briefly placed on secure hold Thursday morning

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) -

Four schools in central Columbia were briefly placed on a secure hold, Columbia Public Schools said Thursday morning.

The Columbia Police Department posted a comment on Facebook saying a school employee heard what they thought was a gunshot Thursday morning. Officers believe it was actually a firework.

"Officers checked the area and spoke with several people," the department commented. "Based on what officers were told this was a firework. Schools were advised to lift the lockdown."

Ridgeway Elementary, Jefferson Middle and Hickman and Douglass High Schools were put on secure status just before 11 a.m., spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark told ABC 17 News in a text message on Thursday. Baumstark said a Columbia police investigation nearby prompted the secure status, and it was lifted five minutes later.

"It did not involve the schools," Baumstark said of the inciting incident. "The secure has been lifted and students are safe."

CPD public information officer Colin Imhoff said at 11 a.m. that he did not have information on the incident in question.