2 N.C. High School Coaches Fired After One Threatens Other with Gun

A basketball coach at Charlotte Country Day School has been charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds after allegedly threatening another coach.
Published: November 21, 2017

Two basketball coaches at a Charlotte, N.C., private school have been fired after one is accused of threatening the other with a firearm on the school’s campus.

Police arrested 29-year-old Tyrez Tarell Neal on Wednesday and charged him with possession of a weapon on school grounds. Neal was the head coach of the junior varsity girls’ basketball team at Charlotte Country Day School, reports The Charlotte Observer.

Neal is accused of threatening 29-year-old Dijuan Harris with a firearm. Harris was an assistant coach on the varsity boys’ basketball team,

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police were called to the school shortly after 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday after Charlotte Country Day security staff told officers that an altercation had occurred between the two coaches.

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Neal was arrested without incident after officers found two firearms that belonged to him. He was initially taken to CMPD’s Providence Division for questioning but was later taken to the Mecklenberg County Sheriff’s Office for booking.

Neal has a concealed carry permit, according to WCNC.

Charlotte Country Day School officials say school security immediately contacted CMPD after the incident and remained on scene until they arrived. No students were harmed.

“We continue to be in close communication with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, and we thank them for their fast response and concern for the well-being of our community,” said a statement from the school.

School officials say both coaches passed a background check prior to their employment.

Head of School Mark Reed also released a statement stating both coaches were part-time employees and not faculty. The incident happened after hours at the front of the campus.

Reed reassured parents that weapons are not allowed on campus except for “the service weapons of duly sworn police officers”.

Charlotte Country Day is a private K-12 school with two campuses and approximately 1,600 students. The Cannon Campus is for grades K-4 and 9-12 and the Bissell Campus is for grades 5-8.

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