A Louisiana teacher has been arrested after allegedly threatening to shoot his third-graders during an embarrassing outburst.
DailyMail.com has obtained an exclusive photograph of Robert Mitcham, 70, a physical education teacher at Downsville Community Charter School in Downsville, Louisiana.
Mitcham, 70, reportedly told his third-graders that he “had bullets for his gun” and that he “would take it to school and shoot it.”
The teacher and former coach, from Ruston, Louisiana, reportedly further claimed that “some of the students would not survive.”
Local police launched an investigation into Mitcham just two days after a concerned parent told officers that her son “was scared” as were other students in the class.
The Union Parish Sheriff’s Department along with its Criminal Investigations Division interviewed the students who witnessed the incident.
Testimonies from several students shed new light: Mitcham allegedly told students “there were too many of you to get rid of” and that he “only had six bullets in his gun.”
Robert Mitcham, 70, has been arrested after allegedly threatening to shoot his third-grade students during an embarrassing outburst.
Local police launched an investigation into Mitcham just two days after a concerned parent told officers that her son “was scared” as were other students in the class.
Parents took their growing concerns to a board meeting after the incident.
Witnesses also claimed that when an older student informed another school staff member about the incident, Mitcham apologized to his students and admitted his misconduct.
Officers who spoke to Mitcham said he “felt overwhelmed and just wanted the kids to calm down” and that he “was not threatening them.”
A warrant was subsequently requested for Mitcham’s arrest, which was eventually issued on 12 September.
He was transported and booked into the Union Parish Detention Center and charged with one count of terrorism.
Mitcham’s bail was set at $15,000 and pending the outcome of his case, the former coach will be prohibited from entering the DCCS campus.
Parents took their growing concerns to a board meeting after the incident.
Concerned parent Kimberly Chappell told KNOE News: ‘We as parents deserve to know what’s going on at our school.’
Downsville Mayor Reggie Skains was also present at the meeting and expressed his “disappointment” in the lack of communication from school administration.
One of the main concerns addressed at the meeting was the lack of communication from management.
“We as parents deserve to know what’s going on at our school,” concerned parent Kimberly Chappell told KNOE News.
“At the end of the day, you have to communicate with parents about the safety of their children,” Chappell continued, expressing his dissatisfaction.
Downsville Mayor Reggie Skains was also present at the meeting and expressed his “disappointment” in the lack of communication from school administration.
Tony Cain, the school’s principal, said the school is not legally allowed to comment publicly on the situation.
“We want to make it clear that the allegations made by the parents who reported the incident to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office and those made on social media are NOT consistent with the first-hand accounts provided to school personnel by the students who witnessed the incident. We are confident that the students were truthful and accurate in their account of the incident,” he said.
