Authorities have released the identity of the elderly man accused of firing multiple shots from an airsoft gun at a school in the Mississippi Pine Belt.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office reports that on Thursday around 7:20 a.m., 76-year-old Timothy Ward entered West Marion Primary School as staffers were walking into the facility. Employees immediately recognized that the man did not belong at the school and attempted to peacefully escort him outside.
Ward then allegedly brandished a firearm and held two school employees against their will. The elderly subject pointed his gun at another staffer who attempted to intercede. A call to 911 was made during this series of events.
As police were making their way to the scene, a school employee, reported to be a janitor, approached Ward from behind and took him to the ground. The unidentified staffer detained the subject until officers arrived at roughly 7:27 a.m. and handcuffed Ward.
Multiple law enforcement agencies appeared at the school grounds and cleared the educational facility of any additional threats. The firearm was found to be a CO2-style air pistol.
Ward is being housed at the Marion County Jail and charged with making terroristic threats and two counts of kidnapping.
“The Sheriff would first like to acknowledge the brave staff member who selflessly put himself in harm’s way to protect everyone at the school,” a statement from Marion County Sheriff Berkeley Hall reads. “The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Marion County School District Police, Columbia Police Department, Marion County Constables District 1 & 2, the 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, and the State Auditors Office.”
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Mississippi Department of Homeland Security are continuing to investigate this incident.
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