TAMPA, Florida — Parents were seen standing outside Farnell Middle School early Friday morning waiting to get word on what happened after a man killed himself on school grounds.
In an evening update, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office identified the man as 52-year-old Jason Layman.
Sheriff Chad Chronister explained during a news conference it is believed that Layman, the ex-husband of a teacher who worked at the school, went to the early drop-off line, parked his car, and shot himself in the head in front of the rear entrance of the school.
Two students who were a few feet behind the man saw the shooting, Chronister said.
"They didn't panic, they endured, they fought through their own trauma ... was worried about what was occurring here. Is it an active shooter? They didn't know if it was a suicide or what was happening," the sheriff said.
Chronister said the students immediately ran and told school authorities who contacted law enforcement and the school was put on lockdown. Deputies were reportedly on school grounds within seconds.
During the news conference, the sheriff explained that Farnell Middle School has an early start program that begins at 6:30 a.m. and the incident happened as those students were arriving. He said 34 kids were at the school at the time of the shooting.
The sheriff said it's believed Layman was "a disgruntled divorced husband and maybe this was his last act of defiance. He wanted to come and prove a point to his ex-wife who is a school teacher."
The two kids who witnessed the shooting reportedly are already meeting with grief counselors. The investigation into this shooting is still ongoing.
The Hillsborough County Public Schools released this statement:
"School staff followed all safety protocols and immediately placed the school on lockdown. The School Resource Deputy and school security responded within seconds. We are grateful for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office for ensuring the safety of our campus. Crisis team counselors were sent to the school to assist students who witnessed or were affected by the incident."
Watch the entire news conference below