Ryukyu Middle is a Department of Defense Education Activity school on Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. (Micaiah Anthony/U.S. Air Force)
Authorities briefly locked down a middle school at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa on Wednesday after a camera was found in a girls’ restroom, base officials said.
Ryukyu Middle — part of Department of Defense Education Activity-Pacific — was “briefly placed on a movement hold” after a student discovered the device, the 18th Wing said in an email to reporters that evening.
The 18th Security Forces Squadron recovered the camera’s memory card and detained a person of interest, the wing said. The case has been turned over to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
As a precaution, security forces will inspect all schools, child development and youth centers on base before they reopen on Thursday, the wing said.
No additional devices were found, the wing said in a follow-up message to reporters Wednesday evening. The detained person of interest is not a DODEA employee, it added.
No other details were provided, and the wing did not respond to an email and phone call seeking additional information on Wednesday evening.
“We remain committed to the safety and well-being of our community and will continue to provide updates as more information becomes releasable,” the follow-up message said.
