Black high school footballers are held at GUNPOINT by white woman, 46, who called 911 to report the teens were ‘suspicious’ while they were going door-to-door fundraising for the team
- Four members of the Wynne High School football team in Arkansas were held at gunpoint by a white woman on August 7 while they were fundraising
- The teens, two of whom wore their team jersey, were selling restaurant coupons
- When they got to Jerri Kelly’s house, she drew a gun and made them get down
- Kelly had already called 911 to report ‘suspicious persons’ and still had her gun drawn when police arrived
- Police assessed the scene, took the boys home and arrested Kelly on Monday
- Kelly has now been charged with four counts of aggravated assault, false imprisonment and endangering a minor
Four black teenagers who were fundraising for their high school football team were allegedly held at gunpoint by a woman in Arkansas.
The Wynne High School athletes were going door-to-door selling restaurant coupons when the woman, identified by police as 46-year-old Jerri Kelly, came out of her home and ordered them to the ground at gunpoint, a 16-year-old who was one of the students involved told WREG.
Before coming outside, Kelly had already called 911 to report ‘suspicious persons’ and still had her gun drawn when police arrived.
Police arrested Kelly on Monday, and she has now been charged with four counts of aggravated assault, false imprisonment and endangering a minor.
The incident has prompted the district to review its fundraising methods going forward, in an effort to ensure the safety of its students.
The teens said that they had walked up the driveway to Kelly’s home on Morningside Drive on the morning of August 7, when she walked out and told them to get on the ground with her weapon drawn.
Kelly then allegedly made them put their hands behind their backs and spread their legs until police arrived.
Kelly had already called 911 to report ‘suspicious persons,’ according to authorities.
The four boys, two of whom were wearing their football jerseys, tried to explain who they were and what they were doing, but Kelly allegedly would not listen.
Four black teenage football players who were fundraising for the Wynne High school football team were allegedly held at gunpoint by 46-year-old Jerri Kelly. The teens said that they had walked up the driveway to Kelly’s home on Morningside Drive (shown at right) on the morning of August 7, when she walked out and told them to get on the ground with her weapon drawn
When police arrived, Kelly allegedly still had her gun drawn. They took stock of the situation, told the boys to get up and took them back to their homes.
Five days later, Kelly was arrested. The grandmother of the 16-year-old sophomore who spoke to WREG told the station he was prepared to die.
She said: ‘My grandson said, “Grandma, if she’d had shot me, I had made my peace with God.”‘
Both neighbors and a representative for Wynne Public Schools said the coupon selling initiative happens ever year.
Kelly had already called 911 to report ‘suspicious persons,’ according to authorities. The four boys, two of whom were wearing their football jerseys, tried to explain who they were and what they were doing, but Kelly allegedly would not listen. A file photo of a Wynne High School football player is shown
In a statement, Superintendent Carl Easley said: ‘We intend to review all methods of fundraising used by school groups in grades K-12 to insure the safety of our children.’
It’s possible the school may do away with door-to-door fundraising completely following this altercation.
There was no booking photo available of Kelly because she suffered a ‘medical condition’ at the time of booking, according to Cross County Sheriff David West.
West said Kelly wasn’t given any preferential treatment despite the fact that her husband Joe Kelly works for West as the Cross County Jail Administrator.
West said that once Kelly was brought to the jail, ‘a bondsman arrived and bonded her out, and they went back home.’
‘I’m professional. My department is professional. There was no special treatment. She went through the steps just like any other person would,’ West told WMC.
When police arrived, Kelly allegedly still had her gun drawn. They took stock of the situation, told the boys to get up and took them back to their homes. Police arrested Kelly on Monday, and she has now been charged with four counts of aggravated assault, false imprisonment and endangering a minor. A file photo of a school water tower is shown