SPARKS – Children at two Sparks schools were quickly shuffled inside this morning where some waited about an hour in a code yellow lock down.

Outside, Sparks police were searching for a man who witnesses say threatened to shoot an officer before killing himself.

According to Sparks Police Department spokesman Detective Rocky Triplett, the man was taken into custody at about 9:30 a.m. on charges of discharging a firearm in the city limits and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was taken into custody at the Motel 6 on Victorian Avenue. No name has been released.

The schools were put on code yellow lock down at about 8:30 a.m. when police reported a suicidal man with a gun was lose in the area.

“A code yellow happens where there is an danger in the surrounding area versus inside the school, we bring all the kids inside,” Sparks High School Principal Doug Parry said.

School police officer Tracy Moore added that a code yellow is not uncommon.

“It is a common form of school safety measure that we take,” Moore said. “If a house is on fire or the bank a few blocks away gets robbed … we may use it.”

According to Parry, Sparks High has experienced about three code yellow lock downs and one code red in the past year.

Neighboring elementary school, Robert Mitchell, was also locked down until police gave the all clear at about 9:30 a.m.

“I am very pleased with the way we responded,” said principal Eileen Roundtree. “They did just like we practiced.”

The school district employs an emergency plan at each school, dictating who has what responsibility in the case of a code yellow.

According to Roundtree, the students were shuffled off of the playground and roll was taken in each classroom to account for all students.

Sparks High School took a similar approach.

“With the safety of our staff and students, we err on the side of caution,” Parry said.