A 17-year-old Atkinson County student has been arrested and charged following an incident that took place during the Atkinson County Homecoming dance Saturday night. The charges include wearing a mask in public and terroristic threats/acts. Despite early reports that the suspect had a gun, officials have not been able to determine that a gun was present.
According to a statement issued by the Pearson Police Department, a juvenile approached a Pearson police officer and an Atkinson County deputy who were near The Venue, which is where the dance was being held. The dance was not hosted by the Atkinson County School System; it was a privately sponsored event. The juvenile told the officers that someone was inside the dance wearing a mask and carrying a gun. The two officers responded to The Venue and soon had the suspect in custody.
According to the PPD’s statement officers have conducted over 20 interviews with witnesses. The statement says that all the interviews have three things in common: No one saw a gun, no one heard gunshots, and the suspect was wearing a ski mask.
The statement concludes as follows: “I would like to thank the Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office for assisting us from the start of this incident. I would also like to thank members of the community that came forward with their statements to help us during this investigation. We understand this was a scary incident given the recent events concerning Georgia’s school systems and we want to assure the community that we are working hand in hand with the Atkinson County Sheriff’s Office to ensure the safety of our citizens and their children.”