Published: August 28, 2008 11:38 pm         

Man points rifle at women near Cashion schools, prompting day-long manhunt

CASHION — It was a sight the likes of which this town has never seen.

Officers from several Oklahoma law enforcement agencies gathered here after two women reported a man pointed a rifle at them about 9 a.m. Thursday by the Cashion school complex. No one was injured.

The two women ran to the school, reported what happened and a day-long manhunt began. The gunman has not been found.

Cashion Emer-gency Management Director Danny Clark said authorities were searching for a white man described as 5-feet, 8-inches tall, weigh-ing 165 pounds with short, dark hair and who is “under the age of 30.” The man was wearing a gray shirts and blue jeans.

Clark said the women were exercising when they were approached by the man.

“He was walking south and they were walking north,” he said.

He said the women began to back away from the man, who chased them and pointed a rifle at them. Clark said the women entered the school to report the incident, and the school then was locked down.

Clark complimented school officials for their handling of the situation, as well as the understanding of parents with children at the school.

“The school was secure and locked down within three minutes of the incident,” Clark. “I can’t compliment how well the school worked with us.”

He said the school was searched and officers conducted a four-block grid search in each direction of the school but did not find the suspect. Officers were at the school as children were picked up by their parents or dismissed.

Members of Cashion Police Department, Kingfisher Police Department, Logan County Sheriff’s Office, Kingfisher County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, U.S. Marshall’s Office and state game rangers assisted in the search and lockdown of the school.

Clark said Cashion has one police officer and an incident such as the one Thursday requires “resources.” He thanked responding law enforcement agencies for their help in the search.

He said officers have talked with several people Thursday but received no reports or sightings of the suspect. He said officers would maintain a “high presence” Thursday night and this morning.

Clark said school would be open today, noting his own children would return.

“I believe it’s going to be as safe as any day we send our kids to school,” he said.

One student, who lives three blocks from the school, said he’d never heard of anything happening in Cashion like this before.

“Around here? No,” said freshman Umar Sahi. “I haven’t even heard of anything happening like this around here. First time.”

Sahi, 15, said he thought it was another drill when the school was locked down.

“We were in our classroom and told to lock the door, turn off the light and stay quiet,” he said. “That’s pretty much it.”

He said students were escorted by teachers to lunch, before being moved to the school’s gymnasium for the remainder of the day.

Cashion is located in southeastern Kingfisher County. According to the latest U.S. Census figures, the town has a population of 854.