A Wynne school went into a “soft lockdown” yesterday after an incident occurred near the school. Officers responded to numerous calls of a shooting at Cliffridge Apartments, 850 Eldridge Ave., around 1:50 p.m. yesterday.
Wynne Police Chief Richard Dennis said officers arrived within minutes and found that a verbal altercation turned physical and resulted in a firearm being brandished and one shot being fired.
In an abundance of caution, School Resource Officer Brittany Eskridge advised Wynne Junior High School, located across the street from the apartment complex, to be placed on a soft lockdown.
Police identified the suspect as 20-year-old Jarkevious Collins. Collins was taken into custody within minutes of the shooting and was being held in the Cross County Jail on charges of aggravated assault, carrying certain prohibited weapons, unlawful discharge of a firearm in the city limits, and 1st-degree terrorist threatening.
“I am very proud of all the Wynne police officers,” said Chief Dennis in a release. “They worked very hard and swift to bring this matter to an end without anyone being severely injured.”
In a message to parents, Wynne Junior High School principal Josh Wingo thanked his staff and officers for their quick response to the incident.
“We had students outside and within seconds all students and staff were behind a locked door,” Wingo said. “This is a true testament that we take student safety very seriously. … It’s never easy to hear about a school going into a lockdown but my teachers, staff, and students did an amazing job today. Thank you for your understanding and for entrusting your child’s safety with the Wynne Junior High School.”
