ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- Officials with Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation confirmed to ABC57 that both Horizon Elementary School and Discovery Middle School went into "Secure Mode" at around 2:30 p.m., Monday.

School officials say this was due to a shooting investigation in Elkhart where the suspect may have had connections to the schools.

At the time of the lockdowns, Horizon was in the middle of student dismissal, while Discovery was still in session since their school day ends at 4 p.m.

In an email sent to parents Monday afternoon, P-H-M stated:

"Please be assured that the safety of our students is our top priority.

Per our Standard Response Protocol, out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the safety of all students and staff, we have initiated the following:

Get Inside, Lock Outside Doors: All students and staff were brought inside the buildings.

Secure Perimeter: All exterior doors are locked and are being monitored. Students will be dismissed and the regular time with additional safety precautions including law enforcement personnel.

Business as Usual: Inside the buildings, the school day is proceeding as normal. Classes are continuing, and students are safe in their learning environments."