LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Lawrenceburg, Kentucky man is under arrest for making threats that closed two school districts on Friday.
According to an arrest report, 20-year-old Dylan Lee Jarrell is charged with harassing communication and terroristic threatening, second degree.
Kentucky State notified both Anderson and Shelby County Schools of a "valid and imminent" threat, after uncovering a weapon, ammunition and what they called a "detailed plan of attack" at Jarrell's home. Anderson County Schools decided to cancel classes Friday. Shelby County schools opted to cancel morning activities, since the district is on fall break.
Officials in Shelby County say evening activities at the school will go on as planned. Security was heightened at the Shelby County vs. Collins football game Friday night as a result of the arrest.
A KSP trooper and an FBI agent initially went to Jarrell's home in Anderson County on Thursday night, after a New Jersey woman called about getting unsolicited messages from him on Facebook. The arrest report says Jarrell admitted to police that he sent the racially motivated messages.
During a news conference Friday afternoon, Kentucky State Police Commissioner Rick Sanders said Jarrell was arrested as he was backing out of his driveway.
Sanders said troopers approached Jarrell as he was backing out of his driveway, and he had “the tools” he needed to carry out a school shooting.
"There’s no doubt in my mind that, as a result of this investigation, we saved lives," Sanders said. "This young man had it in his mind to go to the schools and create havoc. He had the tools necessary, the intent necessary, and the only thing that stood between him and evil, between him and school and doing evil, is law enforcement."
After advising Jarrell of his rights, the federal agent also asked him about a social media threat to a school in Tennessee in May where Jarrell had also been a suspect. He reportedly admitted to making that threat, as well.
Jarrell then gave police permission to examine his phone. During a search of the phone, they found threats to "multiple persons" at a school. A search warrant turned up evidence including a firearm, more than 200 rounds of ammunition, a Kevlar vest, a 100-round high capacity magazine, and "a detailed plan of attack."
Sanders was not able to release any other details because the investigation is ongoing.
Jarrell was being held at the Shelby County Detention Center on a $50,000 bond.
Students are on fall break next week, but Shelby County Sheriff Mike Armstrong said he'll meet with district administration next week to come up with a security plan for when classes resume.
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