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Man Arrested and Charged with Disrupting School at USJ


Omar Ahmad, 51, of Jackson, was arrested this morning and faces a charge of disrupting an assembly after he entered the University School of Jackson and caused a lockdown.

Around 11 a.m. Monday, Jackson police responded to USJ at 232 McClellan Road. Ahmad had entered the school and asked to see the principal. School staff told Ahmad that the principal was unavailable, and Ahmad then left.

About 10 minutes later, Ahmad telephoned USJ and told staff that he was on the school parking lot "thinking and writing." Officials at the school were familiar with Ahmad, and his actions caused some concern.

School officials then accessed Ahmad's Facebook account and saw a recent posting that read, "Remember, children; you are my combatants." This posting was alarming to the school administration and caused them to place the school on lockdown. Students were confined to their rooms and unable to attend their regularly scheduled classes until it was deemed safe.

Ahmad had left the school by the time police arrived, but officers found him a short distance away sitting in his vehicle on Sommersby Drive off of McClellan Road. Officers found and seized electronic devices that had the capability to wirelessly access the Internet. After further investigation, Ahmad was taken into custody and transported to the Madison County Jail.

Ahmad is scheduled to be formally arraigned via video link at 8 a.m. Tuesday in Jackson City Court.

Ahmad has children who are former USJ students. The investigation is ongoing to determine why Ahmad went to USJ today.