The Jordan Police Department continues to investigate an incident that occurred at the Jordan Elementary School last week.

According to the police department, a male suspect showed up along the tree line in the woods between Jordan Elementary School and the River Ridge development. The suspect reportedly had a pocketknife out and tried to lure children into the woods. He made a slashing motion with his thumb to his neck to scare the children.

Jordan Police Chief Bob Malz said police have interviewed a person of interest in the case, but the investigation is ongoing.

“This individual was encountered by officers conducting foot patrol in the woods behind the elementary a couple of days after the incident,” Malz said. “There is circumstantial evidence that may suggest that this individual is the person we are looking for, but we are continuing our investigation and following up every lead.”

According to Jordan Elementary School Principal Stacy DeCorsey, the incident happened while fourth-grade students were taking their lunch recess. Students reported a man in the woods, and the school was in lock-down mode within five minutes.

The following day, DeCorsey said, the elementary school Parents Taking Action (PTA) provided volunteers to stay on the playground with the students during lunch break.

The schools are in constant contact with the police department and with the other school offices through two-way radios, and officers were at the school immediately after the incident was reported.

Everything went according to plan, since the school had practiced a lunchtime lockdown earlier in the year, DeCorsey said. She said the students and teachers did a great job.

Moving forward after the incident, DeCorsey said she would like to see the district consider adding a fence next to the wooded area, and allowing a cleaning effort to clean some of the brush and debris in the woods.

“Now we know that this is a hazard, what are we going to do about it,” DeCorsey said.

Brandon Otte is a staff writer for the Jordan Independent. He can be reached at botte@swpub.com.