Cops: Louisiana PE teacher threatened to shoot students

A Louisiana teacher faces charges after police say he threatened to bring a gun to school and shoot third grade students.

It happened at the Downsville Community Charter School in Union Parish on Thursday. Union Parish Sheriff’s Investigators say 70-year-old Robert Mitcham, a PE teacher, became angry and told students he had bullets for his gun, and that he would bring it to the school and shoot, adding, that some of the students would not survive.

“We interviewed numerous students who were present during that time, and based on the information we received we were able to obtain a warrant for Mr. Robert Mitcham from Ruston, Louisiana,” said Sheriff Dusty Gates.

A parent of one of the frightened students reported the incident to the Union Parish Sheriff’s office Tuesday.

Mitcham told authorities he was overwhelmed and wanted the children to settle down. He said he wasn’t threatening them, but Gates says the arrest was appropriate.

“The issues that we have had over the years with school shooting we do not take that very lightly,” said Gates

Gates says they must take threats seriously though it is usually students who make threats and unfortunately, act on them.

“This is very odd,” he said. “Usually its the other way around but we thought this was very, very odd.”