Man Arrested at Kansas High School after Threatening Students
Zachary Douglass Perry was arrested across the street from Shawnee Mission West High School and later found to have at least five weapons in his room.
Administrators at Shawnee Mission West High School said the incident vindicated their new emergency response plan.
A Kansas City high school’s emergency response plan may have prevented a school shooting after a 19 year old was arrested near campus for making threats to students.
Zachary Douglass Perry was arrested across the street from Shawnee Mission West High School and charged with aggravated criminal threats on July 17. Police searched Perry’s home and found multiple shotguns and rifles stacked on his bed, according to kmbc.com.
The arrest came after two summer school students showed school security officers threats they had received from Perry on social media. The threats were severe enough that administrators locked the school down and provided a picture of Perry to all security officers in the school district.
While classes continued for the roughly 700 students at the school, surveillance cameras caught Perry walking around a school building. The Overland Park Police Department was also notified. Eventually school security and Overland police were able to locate Perry using security equipment that tracks social media messages, according to kansascity.com.
When officers booked Perry for suspicion of aggravated criminal threat he was unarmed, but the charges changed when at least five guns were later found on his bed.
The equipment the school used was recently purchased through a security bond. Parents were also notified as part of the school’s latest emergency response plan.
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