When a dispute at a Nashville housing project got out of hand last Thursday afternoon and shots were fired, a Berrien County school that sits just south of the project was placed under lockdown until authorities signaled that it was safe for the children to go home.

Officers responded to the situation in less than a minute, according to Nashville Police Chief John Clayton, and no children were injured in the incident — which did not occur on school property — but at least one Berrien County parent isn’t happy with the school’s surroundings.

“The neighborhood is unacceptable,” says Elisa Davis, the mother of a Berrien County Elementary School student. “I’m scared for my children and I’m disappointed in the community.”

Davis says that she had hoped the school would be moved out of the building on North Ann Street in Nashville and into the old high school building.

“What enrages me is that it’s the worst area for crime and drug activity that there is, yet they’re not moved out of there,” she says. “You can sit in line to pick your child up and see drug deals going on.”

Berrien County School Superintendent Bobby Griffin disagrees with Davis’ assessment of the neighborhood surrounding Berrien Elementary.

“In the 10 years that the elementary school has been there, this has been the only incident that has happened,” Griffin said Monday. “For 10 years (the area surrounding the school) has been a very safe environment.”

Griffin said that about 10 minutes before the school was to be let out on Thursday afternoon, shots were fired near the housing project and school officials responded immediately.

“As soon as happened, the school went into lockdown,” Griffin said. “The school stayed in lockdown until the sheriff’s office and police department said it was OK. Everything was done that could have been done.”

Clayton said Monday that warrants have been taken for the individuals authorities believe were involved in the shooting, and that he hoped that they would be in custody by today. He also said that the police plan to step up patrols around the school and that he hopes to meet with Berrien County Sheriff Jerry Brogdon and Griffin to discuss protocol that schools are to follow in the event that a similar incident occurs in the future.

“Everything went smoothly on Thursday,” Clayton said of the school and law enforcement response to the shooting, “but we still want to look at possibilities and proceedures in case anything happens in the future.”

A press release issued late Monday by the Nashville Police Department states that the gun used in the shooting was recovered by investigators, who discovered that it had been stolen from a Nashville business.

“First, the school staff, the police department and the sheriff’s office all came together, each doing their part to ensure the safety of the children. Then, the officers and deputies teamed up and within minutes had the situation under control and the gun in custody,” Clayton states in the release.

A new elementary school is in the works for Berrien County, and Griffin says that he hopes work on it will begin this year.

For now, Davis says that she has asked for officers to be placed on the school’s campus to ensure that children are safe.

“(The sitation) is ridiculous to me,” she says. “Something needs to be done about it.”