Melville Island: Principal leaves island after terrifying school lockdown

After an alleged desperate chase across school grounds, a Territory principal had to find refuge in a preschool classroom and has since fled the community. Find out how the incident unfolded.

An aerial view of Garden Point on Melville Island.

A school principal has left by plane after a community member allegedly chased the leader across school grounds and into hiding, forcing students to spend a day in lockdown.

The NT News can reveal that around 9.30am on Monday, a community member of Melville Island allegedly became “angry” at the principal.

The community member allegedly chased the principal across school grounds.

The principal found refuge in a preschool classroom with other teachers and students who locked themselves away from the irate person.

The school went into immediate lockdown as the person allegedly tried to break into the preschool room for 15 minutes.

A source told the NT News that the teachers were worried they would be attacked.

“They were all thinking (the person was) going to flog them all,” they said.

“(The person) didn’t have a weapon but they were angry, all right.”

A Department of Education spokeswoman confirmed the “unhappy” individual was removed from the grounds and the school later reopened.

“Yesterday staff at Pularumpi School were required to follow lockdown procedure after there was an unhappy community member on school grounds,” the statement read.

The spokeswoman said no barricades were used and that the person was removed from the school.

“Police were notified and assisted the community member off school grounds,” she said.

“All staff and students were safe at all times.”

The NT News was told the principal was escorted to the airport later that afternoon.

“They’ve packed up their things, they’ve jumped on the next available flight and they’ve left.”