Landon Strong, a 20-year-old Burlington resident whose actions sent three schools in Boone County into lockdown on Wednesday, was found to be in possession of both drugs and guns, according to police and court documents.
Strong was arraigned Thursday in Boone County District Court.
Police had been called after Strong was spotted at the high school, seemingly concealing a gun, according to the Boone County Sheriff’s incident report, and after numerous 911 calls were made about his presence.
Three schools were sent into lockdown, as a result: Walton-Verona High School, the Early Childhood Center and St. Joseph’s Academy, a nearby Catholic school.
According to a press release from Walton-Vernoa Superintendent Mike Baker, the district went into lockdown around 8:36 a.m. Strong was apprehended a little less than an hour and half later.
A deputy arrived at the high school and viewed a surveillance feed of Strong walking down onto Old Stephenson Mill Road. Another deputy arrived and continued monitoring the cameras while the first deputy went after Strong.
Strong cooperated with the police after being caught. He admitted that he had wrapped guns in some cloth and hid them in a nearby wooded area.
Apparently, according to the police report, Strong had been communicating with a resident who lived on Old Stephenson Road over Snapchat to buy a 1911 handgun in the lead up to the incident.
He CashApped the seller $150, left the house, “saw a patrol vehicle and panicked,” according to the report. He hid both the guns and drugs he had with the hopes of coming back to get them later. He later admitted he had parked his car at the high school while carrying two guns and the drugs.
Strong led the police to where he’d stashed his things. There, the police retrieved two handguns, an AR-15 rifle, two magazine clips, and 64 rounds of ammo. They also found a bag of marijuana and 14 pressed blue pills, which the arresting deputies believed were fentanyl.
Later court documents indicate the pills were, in fact, Alprazolam, a generic form of Xanax. Later court documents also indicate he was carrying rolling papers, a pipe, a scale and other drug paraphernalia.
“We worked closely with local authorities to ensure the safety of everyone on campus,” Baker wrote in his statement, “and we are grateful for their swift and professional response. During the lockdown, teachers remained in their classrooms under the supervision of their teachers and staff. At no time were students in immediate danger, and we followed all safety procedures as outlined in our emergency protocols.”
Strong was charged with possession of fentanyl and marijuana, disorderly conduct, two counts of unlawfully carrying weapons onto school property, tampering with evidence and three counts of carrying a concealed deadly weapon.
His bond was set at $200,000, and the court instructed him to stay away from the schools, refrain from using drugs and alcohol and refrain from using or owning guns. He’s due back in court later in October.