Parker County sheriff’s deputies arrested a North Texas man who called 911 on Oct. 24 and said he “heard voices” telling him to shoot people at two schools in Azle, court records show.
Some parents have expressed concerns about the case, saying they were not quickly informed of the threats.
Alan Spencer Thompson, 41, said he could hear voices from hearing aids, “the kind that crawl into your ears, placed there by someone else without his knowledge,” and the voices urged him to commit school shootings, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
Thompson told authorities that the voices told him to target Silver Creek Elementary School and Azle Christian School of Azle ISD, according to the affidavit obtained by the Star-Telegram. Thompson was in possession of weapons at his home and insisted the call and information he provided were not a prank, the documents state.
Thompson was rushed into custody for mental health treatment because investigators believed he posed a danger to himself and the community because of his statements, the affidavit said.
He was initially sent to the psychiatric unit at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth and on November 5, he was booked into the Parker County Jail.
Thompson was arrested on suspicion of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. He was prohibited from possessing weapons due to multiple DWI convictions, the third of which was a misdemeanor, according to court records. His firearms were seized by the Sheriff’s Office.
Azle ISD police disseminated the information about Thompson’s threats and subsequent arrest through internal messages, but concerned parents told the Star-Telegram they were not notified of the threats in a timely manner.
Azle ISD raised the concerns in a news release Friday, Nov. 8, after parents posted screenshots of internal district messages on social media, including Thompson’s mugshot.
“The Azle ISD Police Department shared this information with all campus directors and officers on October 28, the day it was received by the Azle ISD Police Chief,” the school district said in its statement. “Due to the protected information it contains, the Azle ISD PD document circulating on social media was not intended for public release.
“The safety and security of our students, staff and families remain our highest priority,” the district said. “We want to assure our community that no attempt was made to withhold information, and our decision to limit details at this time is due to the suspect’s continued custody and the involvement of multiple law enforcement agencies.”
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Azle ISD Police have been in contact with the Sheriff’s Office and any threats are taken seriously. said the neighborhood. “If or when the suspect is released from custody, information will be shared as recommended or permitted by law enforcement,” the statement reads. “At this time, we have not taken any actions beyond our routine safety protocols, such as closed doors, encouraging staff to be aware of their surroundings at all times, and increased awareness among campus SROs and administrators.”
Azle ISD officials did not respond to questions about the incident by phone or email when contacted by the Star-Telegram. A spokesperson for Azle Christian School said parents were notified of the situation on Friday.
According to one of the internal messages, an Azle ISD police officer said he recognized Thompson from a criminal trespassing incident at Azle Christian School.
ACS School Principal April Geeslin told the Tri-County Reporter that Thompson visited the school parking lot on Sept. 26, but did not attempt to enter the school building.
“He parked in front of the church and walked up to the door of our gym,” Geeslin told the Tri-County Reporter in an email. “He was immediately approached by myself. He said he was looking for someone named Tom and when he was told there was no one here with that name, he left immediately. The safety of our students and employees is our top priority. We are grateful to have an armed security officer on campus every day. The Brooks Security Team, which is contracted by ACS, works closely with the Azle ISD Police Department and the Parker County Sheriff’s Office.
Thompson remained in the Parker County Jail on Tuesday, Nov. 12, on $25,000 bond, according to jail records. No charges had been filed in court as of Tuesday and it is unclear whether Thompson has an attorney to represent him.
Thompson kept his guns in a safe in his office from which he had removed the keypad, the affidavit said. Officers removed the weapons after Thompson told them the password and where he had hidden the keyboard, the warrant said.
