Man arrested after bringing loaded rifle, handgun onto Fort Chiswell High School grounds
From Wythe County Sheriff’s Office
On Friday at 2:57 p.m., a Wythe County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer was notified that a man was on the property at Fort Chiswell High School with an AR15-style rifle.
The School Resource Officer and Wythe County deputies stopped the man on Apache Run near Clinch Valley Community Action headstart.
Fort Chiswell High School was placed on lockdown, and all school buses were told to avoid the area.
Deputies were placed outside the headstart during the standoff.
Deputies were able to arrest the male identified as Justin Ray Reed, DOB 4/21/1995. He was found to have Diamondback semi-automatic 5.56 rifle and a semi-automatic 9mm Sig Sauer. They both were secured and found to be fully loaded.
Charges against Reed:
2 counts of possession of a firearm on school property (Class 6 Felony)
Disorderly conduct (Class 1 Misdemeanor)
2 counts of brandishing a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school to induce fear (Class 6 Felony)
Reed was held without bond and will be held at the New River Valley Regional Jail.
February 18, 2023 @ 6:13 pm
HOPE THEY DON’T LET HIM OUT EVER
February 18, 2023 @ 8:11 pm
He needs help… Not released for what he did, but mental and physical care
February 19, 2023 @ 9:28 am
Why would he do that?
February 20, 2023 @ 9:36 am
Not for nothing, but we need a bit more information about this before casting judgement. Last time I checked this was America and we have the right to self defense. We have allowed events beginning with 9-11 to subjugate our society into fear. 30 years ago it was perfectly normal especially around here for a high school kid or anyone to ride around with a rifle in the back window, even to school. What happened? Granted the fractional percent of true criminals have done horrible things, but that won’t stop no matter how many laws are created or selectively enforced, bad people will always be bad. To put it into perspective, perhaps an individual was a formal military special forces operator, someone who could go toe to toe with any LEO around for ability to handle themselves with firearms and rough times, does that mean they have ill intent by simply exercising their right to self defense? I’ll argue and always will the ability of the average officer of the law to effectively use the very same type of firearms specified here themselves. All too often, there is no accountability, little effective training, and no way to prove to the citizenry being protected, the skill levels of the very people we bestow faith in to serve and protect.
Are we so afraid and insecure as Americans that we gasp in horror at the sight of something that with a simple change of perspective, otherwise we would gladly accept the site of? That is not the American way. Turning our schools into locked down prisons, teaching our children to fear the very sight of a firearm is not the American way, especially not the rural-American way of life. I am not excusing nor making light of what the gentleman did or perhaps intended to do, but demand the system you all immediately turn to for help, instead of sourcing help yourselves, provide clarity on the situation first. And above all, ask yourself is freedom truly only to be relegated when it’s convenient to do so only for the select persons we think are able to handle that freedom? That’s not the America I bled for overseas. Teach our kids to be safe and reasonable in their surroundings, to take charge of themselves and situations good or bad, not run and hide and sound alarms inciting fear. Consider the erosion of freedoms little by little in the name of mutual security, then balance that with the choices we all make to not take action or accountability for ourselves instead turning to a larger system to provide that for us.
July 7, 2023 @ 11:07 pm
Hell ya sgt. Stango; great opinion. You were outstanding Marine.
– Doc D from Cuba
February 20, 2023 @ 2:04 pm
I agree with Alengo 1oo%