Three staff members at Inglewood Elementary School were forced to hold down an intruder that attempted to enter the school until police arrived.
According to a report from WKRN, an individual named Onreka Gray hovered around the playground of the school, waiting for someone to open the door.
After the door was opened to let students in, Gray attempted to rush into the school building, forcing staff members to try to stop him.
“I was trying to explain to him, ‘Sir, you cannot come in this door. This is not the front door. You’re not allowed in this building.’ And eventually, he wanted to get in so bad that he was lunging towards the kids,” Rachel Davis explained of the events. “We struggled for a while, and he made it inside the building.”
The individuals recalled telling students to run inside.
“I just heard Mrs. Davis say, ‘He’s trying to get into the building, he’s trying to get into the building.’ So, immediately, I’m like you’re not getting into this building, like to the top of my lungs yelling, ‘You are not getting into this building,'” said security guard Katrina Thomas.
The intruder is now facing charges ranging from assault to criminal trespassing.
The event is especially prevalent due to the recent school attack at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. A gunman breached the location, opened fire, and barricaded himself in a classroom. In total, 19 children and two teachers were killed in the massacre.
New reports show that police were slow to react and engage the shooter. Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw detailed that police waited more than 40 minutes to breach the classroom.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Onreka Gray” by Metro Nashville Police Department.Â
