NEWTON COUNTY— One Newton High School student was arrested on Friday as part of an active ongoing investigation by the Newton County Sheriff's Office (NCSO) Criminal Investigations Division. Newton High School was placed on lockdown on Friday morning while the NCSO made the arrest.

According to a news release from the NCSO, investigators detained four Newton High School students. One was arrested, two remain in custody and the fourth student was released. Charges for the arrested student have not been made public at this time.

The NCSO says that Friday’s activities do not stem from an incident at Newton High School, but is part of an ongoing investigation.

“While the school was placed on lockdown as a safety precaution, the incident under investigation did not occur on school campus,” the release states.

Per the release, two other people were arrested in connection with the incident before Friday.

“The investigation remains active, and a full news release, including the suspects’ names, will be issued at a later date,” the release states.

No information about the incident that provoked the investigation or the suspects’ identities has been made public by the NCSO at this time.

“Sheriff Ezell Brown expresses his appreciation to the Newton County School System, including its police force, staff and administration, for their assistance,” the release states. “He also acknowledges the dedication and hard work of the Sheriff’s Office investigators who have been actively working on the case.”

Sherri Partee, executive director of communications for Newton County Schools, contacted Newton High School parents at approximately 10:15 a.m. to inform them of the lockdown. 

A message notifying parents that the lockdown had been lifted was reportedly sent around noon. A similar statement was shared with The Covington News, attributing the lockdown to an investigation of “a safety matter.”

“The matter has been resolved, all students and staff are safe, and the school has returned to its normal schedule,” Partee said.