BROOKVILLE -A discussion on Facebook Tuesday morning escalated to the threat of the use of a gun and a brief lockdown at Ell-Saline Middle-High School.

Saline County Sheriff’s Captain Roger Soldan said chat back and forth on Facebook between several students about a fight after school, concerned a student when the chat turned to a threat to bring a gun to school.

Soldan said a picture of a gun was placed in the chat and a student contacted Deputy Dave Lanning, the School Resource Officer.

Lanning worked with school administrators and contacted Soldan for additional deputies to provide extra security at the school.

The lockdown began around 10 a.m. and lasted about an hour.

Ottawa County authorities arrested Joshua K. Downey, 18, Tescott, at his home for allegedly making the threat of taking the gun to school.

Soldan said a search warrant was used to search Downey’s home, but no gun that matched the picture posted was found.

There were weapons in the home that belong to Downey’s stepfather, but they were not seized.

Downey was booked into the Saline County Jail on eight counts of aggravated criminal threats.

Downey is not a student at Ell-Saline.