DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) — A peaceful Friday afternoon with dozens of children flying kites at Kelly Springs Elementary School in Dothan turned to fear as gunshots were fired near the school.

WDHN News spoke with Dothan Police Chief Steve Parrish by phone who confirmed numerous social media reports to be true.

“The shots had nothing to do with the school, but because of the proximity of where it occurred, the school was placed on lockdown,” Parrish said. “We took every precaution and had officers on the scene quickly.”

The chief said shell casings were found in the roadway near the school, and there were other reports of shots fired from a similar vehicle around town in a close timeframe.

DPD is looking for a white sedan that was reported to have been the vehicle involved.

One parent described the kite day experience as “terrifying”.

“Just had the most terrifying experience,” Lana Jones said on a Facebook post. “Went to my sons school for kite day when a car drove by and shot off five rounds with all the kids running around the front of the school. Then spent the last hour on lock down in my son’s classroom on the floor in the dark not knowing if someone was about to come in the school and start shooting.”

WDHN will reach out to Dothan City Schools for further comment and will update this story as information is made available.