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Background: Caldwell-Guthrie Elementary School in Memphis, Tennessee (Google Maps). Inset: Keith Burton (Shelby County Sheriff”s Office).
A Tennessee man is in legal trouble after allegedly assaulting a child and threatening an elementary school with violence, actions reportedly spurred by concerns over his stepdaughter being bullied.
Keith Burton, 32, faces charges of felony threat of mass violence on school grounds and misdemeanor assault, as per court documents reviewed by Law & Crime. He was arrested and taken to the Shelby County Jail on Thursday.
On that day, Burton reportedly went to Caldwell-Guthrie Elementary School in Memphis, where he confronted several students, believing they were bullying his stepdaughter. According to a police report referenced by local Fox affiliate WHBQ, he engaged in a heated exchange with the students.
During the confrontation, Burton is accused of shouting at the children, throwing a water bottle, and warning two of them not to return to school the following day.
The situation allegedly intensified when Burton brandished a handgun and threatened to “shoot up the school,” according to reports from Memphis-based NBC affiliate WMC.
Police were called to the building, and the school’s vice principal told officers about the threat. Burton was arrested, and while speaking to law enforcement, he reportedly admitted to making the threat and throwing the water bottle, saying he was angry that his daughter was being bullied.
Burton was set to appear in court for a bail hearing on Tuesday, and he is scheduled to return to court on Friday.
Court records show he has faced criminal charges before, including last September when he was accused of misdemeanor domestic assault causing bodily harm. That case is ongoing.
Caldwell-Guthrie Elementary School is a public school located in the northern part of Memphis; it is part of Memphis-Shelby County Schools.