A former school transportation employee is in jail after pulling a gun on an employee while in a district-owned facility, officials said.
Video footage appears to show several other Gilmer County Schools transportation employees trying to wrestle the weapon away from Mary Newberry.
Newberry had worked as a bus driver in the school district for 30 years, according to Superintendent Shanna Downs. She was inside the Gilmer County Schools transportation building Feb. 27 when the director of maintenance and operations told her she had been fired, Downs said.
Credit: Gilmer County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Gilmer County Sheriff's Office
The “disgruntled employee” then went into the parking lot near the transportation building and came back with a loaded gun, Downs said. Newberry then allegedly threatened another operations manager with the Taurus Ultra Lite revolver.
In the video, the woman can be seen lingering outside an open door with her hand in her bag. She then disappears into the room. When she emerges, she is grappling with a man, according to the video.
Credit: Gilmer County Schools
Credit: Gilmer County Schools
Newberry and the man can be seen falling to the ground, still locked in a struggle. Several others rush over and help the other employee restrain Newberry.
They detained the woman until a resource officer from nearby Clear Creek Middle School arrived, Downs said.
The resource officer placed the middle school on lockdown during the incident and then arrested Newberry at the transportation facility, Downs said.
Newberry was taken to the Gilmer County Jail, where she remains, records show. She is charged with aggravated assault, carrying a weapon in a school safety zone, pointing or aiming a gun at another, possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a crime, simple battery, loitering and criminal attempt to commit a felony.
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