Four schools in the Salisbury area were briefly placed in “Secure” status Monday because of an unrelated incident in the city, authorities said.

SALISBURY, MD — Four Wicomico County schools have returned to normal operations after being placed in a precautionary “Secure” status Monday because of an incident in the City of Salisbury, according to the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office.

The affected schools were Wicomico High School, Wicomico Middle School, East Salisbury Elementary School and Choices.

“Secure status has been lifted and schools are returning to normal operating parameters,” the sheriff’s office said in an update. “We would like to thank the public for their cooperation and understanding.”

Schools Were Secured as Precaution

Earlier Monday, authorities said the four schools were following the Standard Response Protocol K-12 and had been placed in “Secure” status.

Under that protocol, students and staff are brought inside, exterior doors are locked and outdoor activities are suspended while normal classroom instruction continues.

“There is no indication of an active threat to these schools at this time and these actions are being taken out of an abundance of caution,” the sheriff’s office said.

Authorities said the precaution was prompted by an incident inside the City of Salisbury and was not directly related to the schools themselves.

No Active Threat Reported at Schools

The sheriff’s office coordinated with school officials and other law enforcement agencies while monitoring the situation.

Officials did not immediately release additional details about the Salisbury incident that prompted the security measure.

The Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office had asked the public to avoid the affected area while first responders worked.

Additional regional coverage can be found through Shore News Network’s Maryland, Public Safety and Schools coverage.