Parents react after police arrest armed man accused of breaking into Greensboro school

GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) – Parents and guardians with students at one Greensboro elementary school are disturbed, shocked and worried after learning a man with a gun broke into their children’s school.

This happened more than a week ago at Irving Park Elementary . Greensboro police didn’t tell FOX8 it happened until Sunday.

Many people are wondering how the man got into the school. Investigators said that’s part of an ongoing investigation.

Parents want to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.

“What if on that particular day that there was an event going on, there were children inside?” said one grandmother picking up her grandson who didn’t want to be identified. “Someone could have been seriously injured. That could have been my grandson that had been seriously injured. But thank God, no one was there.”

The grandmother is thankful her grandchild wasn’t here when police said Jonathan Cameron Coley, 26, broke into the school carrying a gun. On Monday, 10 days after it happened, many parents and guardians our crews talked with didn’t even know.

“I had no idea until you said something to me as I walked up,” said Oscar Williams, who has a child in second grade at the school. “Kind of shocked at first … This is a nice area, but strange things do happen from time to time.”

Officers got the call just after 6 a.m. on Saturday, April 13, when a burglary alarm went off. A few days later, the school’s principal told investigators she’d watched surveillance footage, and investigators identified the suspect as Coley.

They arrested him on Tuesday, April 16, and charged him with felony possessing a gun on educational property and misdemeanor breaking and entering.

“I’m just glad that whoever it was, they got him,” Williams said.

But others have their concerns.

“He has been picked up,” said the grandmother. “That’s a good thing, however, is that going to prevent it from happening again?”

Guilford County Schools leaders declined to do an interview with FOX8 but sent the following statement:

Greensboro Police and Guilford County Schools are investigating a matter in which an individual broke into Irving Park Elementary on Saturday, April 13.

The safety of our students and staff is our utmost concern. This is an ongoing investigation, and the district is collaborating with law enforcement. Please refer to the Greensboro Police Department for further information.

GCS

Coley is banned from education properties and will have to undergo a mental health evaluation before he can get out of jail.

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