DILWORTH - A woman who lives by the site of Dilworth Elementary and Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Middle School was seen holding a gun while students were outside for a fire drill Monday, Oct. 1, prompting concern from parents and attention from officials.

After the drill, students and staff alerted authorities that the woman was holding a gun while standing in her doorway and watching the drill, according to a joint statement from the Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton School District, the Dilworth Police Department and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

listen live watch live

Dilworth police, including the department’s school resource officer, helped with the investigation, and the neighbor was talked to. Through that conversation, the report from students and school staff was confirmed, the joint statement said.

The school district made changes to its evacuation procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future, the joint statement said. The Clay County Attorney’s Office was consulted, and as of Wednesday, Oct. 3, no criminal charges had been filed in the case.

Parents of students told WDAY-TV they are worried about the safety of their children.

“Everyone knows there was a gun involved. My kids don’t want to go to school today because they are scared,” said Krista Rector, whose two boys stayed home from Dilworth Elementary on Wednesday.

The woman seen with the gun, Alison Scafe, has video cameras on her home and signs that warn trespassers to stay away. A WDAY-TV reporter knocked on the door, but no one answered.

One of Scafe’s postings on social media said: “If you are threatened by a gun that is holstered, you have some serious issues. Don’t want to see my weapons, don’t look into my house.”

She posted on social media photos of students on her property during the fire drill, stating that if she had to make a point to drive people off, she would.

Police and school officials said the display of a gun and the social media comments are protected by the Constitution.

“There is not anything we can do when someone is exercising their rights on their property. But we can do things to lessen the likelihood of confrontation, and those are the things that we are doing,” Superintendent Bryan Thygeson said.