The man police say barricaded himself in a High Point Elementary School closet Tuesday is a convicted sex offender with a history of violent behavior and mental illness documented in police and court records
William Gerald Skaggs, 35, of Bristol, Tenn., was convicted of statutory rape in 1995, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s statewide sex offender registry. He also has been convicted of disorderly conduct after knocking over a hospital bed and twice for assault following fights with his girlfriends.
On Tuesday, police charged Skaggs with trespassing, disorderly conduct and other crimes after arresting him at High Point. His presence at High Point along with two other men sparked a tense two-hour lockdown that has school officials wondering how much security is enough.
“What I saw [Tuesday] was something I hadn’t really thought about,” said Alan Lee, Washington County’s superintendent of public schools.
The schools already keep all but the front doors locked during classes, but Lee said Wednesday that more security might be needed.
“For the peace of mind it would give the people in our buildings, it would be worth it,” he said.
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