Body found on Govalle Elementary playground

AUSTIN, Texas - A teacher made a shocking discovery at Govalle Elementary School in East Austin.

She found a body hanging in the playground just after school started this morning.

The discovery forced the school to go on lockdown and parents to question the safety of their children.

"I need to get down to the school and pick my kids up," said Kiara Gentry.

That's the first thought the concerned parent had when she got an unsettling text alert.

AISD Police say the Govalle teacher found the body of a woman hanging in the playground shortly after 8 a.m., causing the school to go on lockdown.

"Because of the location where the incident occurred, the weather is what it is today, it's raining, we already knew that the students wouldn't be coming out to the playground are and so the decision was to keep them in the building," said Eric Mendez, Chief of A.I.S.D Police.

That lockdown was lifted about two hours later when investigators cleared the scene. What police say could have been the victim's car, was also towed.

Right now many questions are unanswered. Police say they are treating as a suicide but not sure why the woman would choose this location. Another question is if she had any affiliation with the school.

"The identification of the woman is still pending, and next of kin is still pending," said Mendez.

Kiara Gentry says she has always felt uneasy about the area and that she has always thought about moving her two children from the school district.

"I'm ready to transfer my kids from this school. I don't feel like, allowing the kids to still be on the campus is really safe," said the mother of two.

"We're working to ensure the students that they're safe, that campus staff and teachers are working to make sure students understand that they're safe that it's not a concern for them.It's just something that happened outside, said Mendez.