NEWARK, Ark. – A man who had already shot one person was apprehended while he was headed to an area school, possibly with bad intentions, according to the county judge.
The suspect, whose name has not yet been released by authorities, was arrested at the Cord Country Crossroads Store. Independence County Judge Robert Griffin told NEA Report the man had shot a woman in the leg before leaving for Cedar Ridge High School.
The school was placed on lockdown for a short time until the man was apprehended. Griffin said there was a window of 17 minutes from the time the threat was recognized until the threat was neutralized and school released.
“I did go by the Cedar Ridge High School to see how they felt about our dispatch operation,” Griffin said. “They said they had absolute praise and everything went like it should. They had the information they needed and knew how to identify the person. Within one minute they had sufficient information to have the school locked down and prepared.”
The school is about 10 miles south of where the shooting suspect was arrested.
Griffin said the efficient handling of the day’s events was a mix of good work by law enforcement as well as the public.
“If you don’t have the eyes in the public assisting you, law enforcement is limited but when you’ve got the community helping and they’re assisting with eyes on the situation, directing that, that’s important too,” Griffin said.
NEA Report will update this story with more information as it becomes available.
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