2 arrested, released after Marion school gun scare

School put on lockdown, no weapons found according to police

By THE TIMES NEWS STAFF

news@theeveningtimes.com

Two students have been charged following a report of students on the Marion High School campus with weapons last Friday morning.

According to Marion School District’s Director of Communications, Andy Weld, said the district was noti_ed of the alleged threat Friday morning and the high school was immediately placed on lockdown. Students were then released early for the day.

Marion police say two students were arrested and no weapons were found. There were no reported injuries.

From the Marion Police Department’s Maj. Dustin Burnett, Criminal Investigations Division: On Friday, September 20th, 2024 at approximately 10:13 AM, Of_cers were requested for assistance from the Marion School District in reference to two individuals on school property possibly armed. Of_cers with the Marion Police Department, Crittenden County Sheriff, West Memphis Police Department, Arkansas State Police, and Arkansas Highway Patrol responded. A description of both subjects was given by Campus Security and a last known location they were observed. Units arrived on scene at approximately 10: 17 AM and at approximately 10:27 AM, Of_cers detained both subjects without incident. There were no weapons located on either subject at the time of detention. The subjects were identi_ed as 18 year old Hezekiah Anderson and the other a 17-year-old male. Both subjects were arrested and charged with Threatening to Commit Act of Mass Violence on School Property and are set to appear in court on Monday, September 23rd, 2024. We would like to reiterate that there were no weapons located on the suspects or school property. We would like to commend the assisting agencies on their rapid response and assistance in this incident. This is still and ongoing and active investigation, further details may be released at a later time.”

Hezekiah Anderson, 18,

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ANDERSON GUNS

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and a 17-year-old are both charged with threatening to commit mass violence on school property. The identity of the 17 year old was not released due to being a minor. Anderson was taken into custody and held at the Crittenden County Detention Center but was released the same day without bond.

The incident mirrors a similar event days prior in Memphis at Southwind High School. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office said last Thursday night it arrested a 15-year-old in Nashville for threats on Wednesday, the sixth arrest in the case. MSCS said the initial threats led to even more threats and, eventually, a district-wide lockdown.

Several local residents took to social media claiming that the Marion Police were “lying” about no weapons being found in order to “make the city look good”. So far, all of the rumors have proven to be unsubstantiated. To address those claims and provide additional information, the district released a statement on Monday. It read: At the Marion School District, we place a high premium on providing a safe and supportive learning environment. When a safety issue arises at our schools, we take it seriously. Such is the case with the incident that occurred at our high school last Friday (September 20).

Given the abundance of information – and misinformation – that has swirled about on social media and around our community since then, we wanted to take this opportunity to provide most accurate and up-to-date information available, including information on the steps we are taking to ensure the safety of our students and staff.

Friday morning, we were notified of an allegation involving students with weapons on the campus of Marion High School. The school was immediately placed on lockdown and our campus safety officers arrived at the scene, joined quickly by officers from the Marion Police Department, the Arkansas Highway Police, the West Memphis Police Department, and the Crittenden County Sheriff’s Department.

The two high school students who allegedly made the statements regarding weapons made their way to the Marion Performing Arts Center, which at the time was filled with students watching a school play. Both were swiftly apprehended in the building, and no weapons were found on their persons or in the facility. Both suspects were taken into police custody.

Following the apprehension of the students, the lockdown was lifted, and students resumed their regular school day. Detectives collected evidence and interviewed potential witnesses. Specially trained weapons-detecting k-9 units were also deployed and scoured the scene. Again, to be clear, no weapons have been found related to this or any other incident on the MSD campus.

Though no weapons were found, this incident did confirm for us the strength of the safety plan we have in place and the great relationships we have with our local law enforcement. Through the quick actions of our Campus Safety Team, and the immediate response of local authorities, the entire situation was resolved only 17 minutes after the initial threat was reported. We are grateful for the actions of all involved in helping keep our students and staff safe.

We remain committed to doing whatever it takes to make sure our students feel safe and supported at all times while at school. If you have questions or concerns you would like to share, we urge you to contact our Central Office at 870-763-5100. As more information becomes available regarding this incident, or any others, we will share it promptly. We are thankful to our entire Patriot community for your ongoing support.

We value feedback from our families on this and all district matters. Because of the seriousness of this situation, we ask those with questions or concerns to contact our Central Office directly at 870739-5100.