Four Tuscaloosa City Schools were placed on heightened alert Wednesday after a suspect escaped the custody of State Troopers at DCH Regional Medical Center, according to police and school officials.

Lesley Bruinton, a spokesperson for the city schools, said the system received a call from the Tuscaloosa Police Department around 11 a.m. Wednesday asking them to move four schools to a "secure perimeter" status, which Bruinton said means that business goes on as usual inside the school, but no one is allowed in or out.

30 minutes later, the schools were downgraded to a "heightened alert," Bruinton said, and the affected schools stayed in that state until the day's end Wednesday afternoon.

The affected schools were the Tuscaloosa Magnet School - Elementary, the Tuscaloosa Magnet School - Middle, the Alberta School of Performing Arts and Arcadia Elementary Schools.

A TPD spokesperson confirmed the situation but referred questions to the Alabama State Troopers office, who could not be reached Wednesday afternoon.

The Tuscaloosa News reports that an official at DCH Regional Medical Center confirmed that a suspect their escaped the custody of state troopers while being treated at the emergency room there, and said no one was hurt.

More information on the escape will be released as it becomes available.

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