LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A woman was fatally shot Wednesday afternoon outside the Rockefeller Early Childhood Center in Little Rock, prompting an immediate lockdown of the school and a swift police response.

According to the Little Rock Police Department (LRPD), officers were dispatched at approximately 2:54 p.m. to the area of 15th and Bragg streets, near the I-30 and I-630 interchange, following reports of gunfire.

Upon arrival, officers located an unresponsive woman suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite life-saving efforts by paramedics, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. confirmed that the victim was an employee of the Little Rock School District.

“Shortly before 3 p.m., an employee of the Little Rock School District was killed in a parking lot outside Rockefeller Early Childhood Center,” Mayor Scott said. “We believe the perpetrator of this heinous crime had a connection to the victim. Little Rock police will share further details as they become available.”

Mayor Scott also confirmed that a suspect was taken into custody shortly after the shooting by Officer Hayes Jalise, also known as Jal Ise. Officials emphasized there is no ongoing threat to the public.

In a statement released Wednesday evening, Mayor Scott expressed both outrage and sorrow over the incident.
“This should never, ever happen, and we must continue to do everything we can to prevent this type of senseless violence in our City. We are outraged, angry, and heartbroken that this crime occurred in such proximity to our precious children. At the same time, we are grateful for the nurturing, caring hands of the Rockefeller staff that kept students safe today and every day. Our deepest sympathies and prayers are with the victim and her loved ones in this time of deep grief.”

The Little Rock School District also issued a statement, describing the shooting as a “tragic domestic incident.” The district confirmed that no students were harmed or directly involved, but acknowledged the emotional impact on staff who witnessed the event.

“The Little Rock School District is heartbroken to share that a tragic domestic incident occurred outside, near Rockefeller Early Childhood Center, this afternoon. This was an isolated incident, and a suspect is now in custody. Although no students were involved, we are aware that this event has had a profound impact on our entire school community, particularly on the staff members who witnessed the incident. We are grateful to the administration and staff at Rockefeller, who immediately implemented our emergency protocols by using our Centegix CrisisAlert badges to communicate and placing the school on lockdown. No students witnessed the incident or were in harm’s way. Parents were contacted to pick up their children and were escorted into the building. The District has deployed counselors and social workers to support students, staff, and families during this difficult time. We are working closely with the Little Rock Police Department as they investigate, and we ask our community to keep the Rockefeller ECC family in their thoughts and prayers.”

Authorities have not yet released the names of the victim or the suspect.

The investigation remains ongoing.