Elementary school placed on lockdown after shot fired during Orange County bank robbery

Authorities were searching for an armed man who robbed a bank in Orange County Thursday afternoon, prompting a nearby elementary school to be placed on lockdown after a shot was fired.

An Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesperson told KTLA 5 News that deputies were dispatched to the Chase Bank near the intersection of Portola and Bake parkways in Foothill Ranch just after noon.

As the suspect was fleeing, a single gunshot was fired inside the bank. No one was struck.

It was not immediately known whether a security guard, the suspect or a witness fired the shot. The suspect ran away with an undisclosed amount of cash, officials said.

The sheriff's department issued an advisory on Facebook, telling residents to avoid the area "until further notice" as authorities searched for the suspect.

Deputies said Foothill Ranch Elementary was placed on lockdown after the robbery as a precautionary measure. At 2:35 p.m., the lockdown was lifted ; authorities stated that students were only being released from the front of the school.

KTLA 5's Gil Leyvas from Sky5 said a nearby neighborhood was also placed on lockdown.

'Olympic athlete turned drug lord' among those charged with 4 murders, drug trafficking: DOJ

Video from Sky5 shows deputies searching the hillside near the plaza where the bank is located with K9 units. Authorities were also seen speaking with people who appeared to be bank employees.

Officials told KTLA 5 Orange County Bureau Chief Chip Yost shortly after 2 p.m. that witnesses saw the sole suspect armed with a gun and that the suspect fled on foot.

The suspect was able to get away with some money, but the exact amount is unknown.

This is a developing story. Stay with KTLA 5 News for updates.