A man accused of shooting four people and killing three in July 2016 attempted to escape Sunday from the Clark County Jail days before he was scheduled to be arraigned, officials said.

The Clark County Jail is locked down until further notice while deputies investigate the circumstances of Brent Ward Luyster's escape attempt, Undersheriff Mike Cook said in a news release. The incident forced a significant police response, said Israel Young, who saw the police respond to the escape.

"The jail will remain in lockdown until we've had a chance to assess the security of the entire facility," Cook said. "We need to make sure this escape attempt was isolated to this one inmate and does not involve other inmates or other areas of the jail facility."

The attempt, discovered by a jail deputy, occurred about 9 p.m., according to the news release. The deputy was walking the jail perimeter when he noticed a broken window.

Luyster's attorney, Edward Dunkerly, could not be immediately reached for comment Monday.

Sgt. Fred Neiman, Sheriff's Office spokesman, said in a news release an outer window of the jail had been broken. Vancouver police, Clark County deputies and SWAT members initially helped jail deputies clear all inmate cells. They conducted a search because of concerns that weapons or contraband might have been smuggled in, Neiman said early Monday.

Young, who works at Affordable Bail Bonds near the jail, said dozens of officers from various agencies had quickly converged at the jail. Later, some officers were seen in tactical gear and armed with rifles. He said police began to disperse shortly after 11 p.m.

"I've worked here for a lot of years," Young said. "I've seen them come and go. I've never seen that many of them at one time."

Luyster is accused of fatally shooting Joseph Lamar, Zachary Thompson and Janell Knight in the 4000 block of Northwest 417th Street in Woodland in July. He was arrested less than 24 hours later.

His girlfriend, Andrea Danielle Sibley, was also arrested on a first-degree rendering criminal assistance charge, records show.

The shootings triggered a manhunt for Luyster, who was arrested while camping near Abernathy Creek Road in Cowlitz County with Sibley and their toddler son, according to records. Luyster, whose crimes carry the potential for the death penalty, remains scheduled for a 9 a.m. Tuesday after delays to his case.

The county's prosecuting attorney will review the Sheriff's Office Major Crime Team investigation of the reported escape attempt before considering filing new charges.

This post will be updated as news develops.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reporter Jim Ryan contributed to this report.

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