Updated @ 8:11PM

MANCHESTER, Mo (KMOX) — An armed suspect in wooded area near several schools in Manchester is in custody. He was reported to be suicidal.

KMOX’s Allison Blood on the scene says police told her the suspect is a 19 year old man from Webster Groves who bought a shotgun earlier in the day and told his girlfriend he planned to kill himself.

The girlfriend alerted police who then conducted a massive search. At one point they texted his cell phone to tell him they were coming into a wooded area and did not plan to hurt him . He is now under psychiatric evaluation.

 SWAT units along with police helicopters and canine units had been searching a wooden area near Parkway South High School after reports that an armed and possibly suicidal man was seen in the area.

Manchester police contacted Parkway administrators to warn them, but police say the man did not make specific threats against any of the schools.

Four area schools were put on lockdown as a precaution:  Parkway South High School, Southwest Middle School, Wren Hollow Elementary and Hanna Woods Elementary.