Man arrested for bringing gun to two Murfreesboro elementary schools
The Murfreesboro Police Department said no students or staff members were in any danger.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WSMV) - A man caused a lot of concern for bringing a gun to two Murfreesboro elementary schools, police said.
Police arrested 22-year-old Austin Diller at his home on Monday for two felony charges of possession of a firearm on school property. The Murfreesboro Police Department said no students or staff members were in danger from the incidents.
Diller went to John Pittard Elementary School just before 11:30 a.m. looking for information about enrolling a younger sibling, police said.
He was allowed into the school and talked with front office staff who figured out Pittard Elementary was not in his zone, Murfreesboro City Schools said. Diller was allowed to leave without his gun being noticed by staff.
When he got to the correct school, Erma Siegel Elementary School, asking the same question, staff told him through the entrance intercom that all the necessary information was available online, MCS said.
As Diller turned to leave, office staff noticed a holster with a gun on the intercom camera, MCS said. The staff notified the School Resource Officer, but Diller left before the SRO made it to him.
All schools in the area were placed on a lockout or lockdown as a precaution while officers searched for Diller, police said. They used license plate readers and other technology to identify Diller and track him to a Murfreesboro house.
“Our district takes the safety of students, staff, and families very seriously and appreciates the prompt response of school staff, the SRO, and Murfreesboro Police Department,” MCS director of communications Lisa Trail said in a letter to parents. “We remain committed to always maintaining a safe and secure learning environment.”
Trail also reminded people that it is a felony to carry a weapon on a school campus. Both Pittard and Siegel have signs outside the elementary school entrances warning people that guns are banned.
The incident caused a brief disruption for staff, but only outdoor recess was canceled for the students, Trail said.
Heather Asnes has a son in second grade at Siegel Elementary and was scared she couldn’t be there to help her child during this situation.
“It’s instant fear,” Asnes said. “The last thing you want to think about is your child hunkered down in a classroom worrying about their lives.”
Asnes has family members that were impacted by the Covenant School shooting, but she trusts the SROs at Siegel to always be on alert. In the past, she said gun threats have not been taken lightly, and she was happy no one was hurt by this incident.
Asnes said she would still like to see more background checks or other safety measures to prevent another gun from showing up at her child’s school.
“Little ones shouldn’t even have to think about,” Asnes said. “It shouldn’t be their daily school lives to sit waiting and wondering what is happening and what is going on outside of their classroom.”
Diller was booked in the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center on a $5,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in Rutherford County General Sessions Court on December 16.
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