Fayette County deputies are searching for the gunmen who robbed four people, and then fired several shots outside an after-prom party held by a high school assistant principal early Sunday morning.
Shaun Lain, husband to Sandy Creek High School Assistant Principal Shannon Lain, said they hosted the party so their son and 20 of his friends could have a safe, non-alcoholic place to gather after the prom. Their son is a senior at Sandy Creek.
"Many parents and friends of the family felt so comfortable because they know who we are, what we do in the community, what my wife does, so of course, this is a safe haven," said Lain.
Deputies said around 1:30 a.m., eight or nine young men approached four party-goers in the street a couple of doors down from Lain's home. According to investigators, the men brandished weapons and robbed the four of money and cellphones. As they ran away, neighbors reported hearing several shots fired. Luckily, no one was hurt.
"I heard eight to ten rounds go off right here in the front yard," said neighbor Kevin Benefield.
He said the shots woke him, so he ran outside and saw the victims.
"They were pretty tore up," said Benefield. "I think they were having a hard time believing it to start with."
Lain said he heard the shots, too, and ordered the other teens to remain in the basement. That's when he learned of the robbery. He wants to find out how the gunmen knew about the gathering at his home.
"We don't do anything on Facebook to advertise or anything like that, because it wasn't that type of party," said Lain. "It's crazy."
Two of the four robbery victims are Sandy Creek High School students and, according to investigators, did not recognize any of the gunmen. The other two victims are former Sandy Creek students.
Fayette County School District Spokesperson Melinda Berry-Dreisbach said the system is also investigating the incident.
"At this point in time, we really don't have a whole lot of details," said Berry-Dreisbach. "We are working with the sheriff's department, and we are also conducting our our internal investigation to find out details of what happened."
The Fayette County Sheriff's Office is asking for help solving this case. Anyone with information is asked to call 770-716-4750.
