Crime
Juvenile Carjacking Suspect in Custody After Fleeing Into Kentridge High School Parking Lot
The suspect was found to have entered the high school, located and taken to into custody without incident
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 5, 2024 – At around 9:30 a.m. this morning Kent Police responded to a report of a carjacking after the victim called 911.
The victim, a 27-year-old Newcastle man, reported that the suspect had posed as a purchaser of a vehicle he had for sale.
Following a test drive and a discussion about the price for the vehicle the suspect produced a firearm and took the vehicle.
The suspect fled into the parking lot of Kentridge High School where the unoccupied vehicle was located by police.
The suspect was found to have entered the high school, which was immediately placed on lockdown.
The suspect, who is a juvenile and will not be identified further at this point, was located and taken to into custody without incident and there is no ongoing threat to safety at the school.
The school will remain on a modified lockdown while police process evidence of the carjacking.
ORIGINAL REPORT:
Kentridge High School is currently under a full lockdown. Local law enforcement agencies are actively searching for a potential suspect who may have entered the school while it was placed on lockdown.
It is important to emphasize that there is no active shooter situation at this time.
A witness at the scene told Channel2 NOW that they saw numerous police officers surrounding Kentridge High School, while concerned parents and crying students gathered on the sidewalk.
According to a source, authorities are currently attempting to negotiate with the teen they have located, while a helicopter continues to circle overhead. One of the two teens has been found, and students can hear police communicating over the intercom. (As reported by my daughter at KR.)
As at the time of this report, there has been neither confirmation nor identification of any victims.
No suspects have been identified, and there has been no information immediately released regarding any arrests.
Police ask public to please stay out of the area.
This is a developing story that will be updated when more information is available.
Crime
34-year-old Augusta Fireman Spencer Johnson charged in accidental shooting of his 3-year-old son in Harlem
Johnson, a decorated firefighter from Augusta, was arrested on Friday.
A Columbia County father, Spencer Allen Johnson, 34, of Harlem, Georgia, has been charged with child cruelty after his 3-year-old son, Evan Johnson, accidentally shot himself in the shoulder with an unsecured firearm.
According to authorities, the incident occurred Thursday night when the child accessed an unsecured firearm in his father’s bedroom.
The young boy, left unsupervised, discharged the weapon, resulting in a gunshot wound to his shoulder. Fortunately, the child is expected to make a full recovery.
Johnson, a decorated firefighter from Augusta, was arrested on Friday.
He faces charges of child cruelty stemming from criminal negligence, which authorities allege caused “excessive physical pain” to his son through neglectful supervision. He is currently being held at the Columbia County Detention Center with bond set at $10,100.
The Harlem Police Department did not initially release information about the shooting. However, as rumors of the incident spread on social media, the situation was later confirmed by both WGAC’s Austin Rhodes and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office late Friday evening.
Early Saturday morning, Harlem Police Chief issued a statement on the department’s Facebook page, stating that the case remains under investigation as new details emerge.
The Chief’s statement suggests that the full circumstances surrounding the shooting are still being determined.
In his booking photo, Johnson is seen wearing an anti-suicide smock, a standard precautionary measure taken in some detention facilities.
The incident has sparked discussions about gun safety and parental responsibility. Authorities are expected to release further information as the investigation unfolds.
Meanwhile, the Columbia County community remains concerned about ensuring proper firearm storage to prevent similar tragedies.