Hall County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested a Clermont man Wednesday afternoon on charges of felony terroristic threats and misdemeanor disruption of a public school.
At approximately 11:00 a.m., deputies received word of a domestic situation involving potential threats. The preliminary investigation revealed that 35-year-old Thomas Shannon Bruce had called Wauka Mountain Elementary School to ask about checking his child out of class. Bruce, who was in a custody dispute with the child’s mother, was not on the list of people authorized to sign the child out of school.
Investigators believe Bruce then called his estranged wife and told her he was coming to shoot up the school. The woman quickly notified school officials who contacted law enforcement.
Investigators and deputies immediately responded to the school, where Wauka Mountain administrators had activated the school safety plan as a precaution. Deputies remained at the school during the lockdown.
Following further investigation, detectives turned their attention to Bruce’s home at 6507 Ga. 283/Clermont Highway. After a warrant was obtained, deputies went to his house and arrested him without incident at approximately 12:30 p.m.
Bruce was never present on school grounds Wednesday, and no one was injured.
He was booked into the Hall County Jail. No bond has been set in the case at this time. The Hall County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the matter.
