Man charged in threat to attack N.C. school

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C.

An Elizabeth City man has been charged in connection with threats of "shooting up" a local school after firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were found in his home.

Jerry Dwayne Long, 24, of Mockingbird Drive in Elizabeth City was charged Tuesday with firearms violations, said Pasquotank County Sheriff Randy Cartwright.

Local federal officers found firearms and 200 to 400 rounds of ammunition while searching his home, Cartwright said.

Police received tips Thursday that a man had threatened to "shoot up" a school and that he referred to the Columbine High School shootings. Security was beefed up at all the schools in the county.

Officers from the Elizabeth City Police Department and the Pasquotank County Sheriff's Office searched his home, according to an affidavit released by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Long was committed involuntarily for medical reasons, Cartwright said.

Long was cooperative and allowed officers access to his room, the affidavit said.

When asked about planning to shoot a school, Long said, "Oh, no, I don't want to shoot up Northeastern High School," the affidavit said.

According to the affidavit, Long showed the officers five firearms. When he showed them a 9 mm carbine, he told them it was the same weapon used in the Columbine shootings in Colorado in 1999, which killed 12 students and a teacher.

After the officers found the ammunition, Long said the 200 to 400 rounds were not enough, and that he needed to buy more.

Remains of marijuana cigarettes were in an ashtray. Long acknowledged using marijuana and tested positive for marijuana after being committed last week, the affidavit said.

On Friday, Long said he had three handguns and two rifles. He also had an AK-47 assault rifle on layaway. Long said he had purchased them all legally.

Officers with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were called in to assist in the case.

Jeff Hampton, (252) 338-0159, jeff.hampton@pilotonline.com