AST: Noatak in lockdown as rifle-toting threatens village

Alaska State Troopers confirmed that they responded to a report from concerned citizens "regarding a person walking around with a firearm" in the Northwest Alaska village of Noatak.

AST confirms that the school was locked down as a precaution.

Residents reported hearing multiple gunshots in the area.

Vicky Mitchell, a resident of Noatak, said the lockdown lasted most of the afternoon.

"The whole town was on lockdown," she said over the phone. "I went outside and it was silent."

Residents said they reported hearing at least one loud gunshot that they believed came from a rifle. They said the suspect was apprehended sometime before 6 p.m.

Troopers say they detained the person who had been reported for the ongoing investigation.