Parent arrested at a school with machete, BB gun, ax

A Columbus man is facing a felony charge after city police say he was arrested Wednesday with a machete, a Glockbranded BB gun and a hatchet while picking up his child at a middle school.

Bryan Eugene Johnson, 43, is charged with illegal conveyance of a deadly weapon in a school zone, which is a fifth-degree felony.

Johnson was arraigned in Franklin

County Municipal Court Thursday, where a judge set his bond at $25,000.

Police responded at 2:22 p.m. Wednesday to Westmoor Middle School at 3001 Valleyview Drive on a report from staff that a man had entered the building with what appeared to be a handgun holstered on his hip and a machete attached to his leg. The caller said the man was at the school to pick up his child, a student at the school.

Johnson entered the “security vestibule,” which is a contained area, and did not make it inside the school area because a staff member noticed the weapons, according to a district spokesperson.

A Columbus City school safety and security specialist directed the parent away from the building to his car, and arriving city police officers detained him as they determined what had happened. Police report a machete, hatchet and Glockbranded BB gun were recovered from Johnson’s car.

Columbus City Schools issued a statement Wednesday stating, “Our students’ and staff’s safety and well-being is our utmost priority.”

The security level at Westmoor Middle School was increased as a precaution during the incident, the district said, and an “all-clear” provided by police just before 3 p.m. allowed for dismissal of students for the day.

Columbus City Schools leases Aiequipped gun detection sensors at its high schools as part of a four-year, $3 million contract. Students at randomly chosen schools are also screened with metal detector wands throughout the week.

bagallion@gannett.com