Teacher is arrested after starting fire in Saks High School

Anniston AL – – On the 21st of September 2023 at around 7:50 morning at approximately 7:50 am, the Saks High School principal was walking around the campus and noticed smoke emanating from the gym. He walked over to the area and walked into the gym and saw smoking, broken glass as well as a long-term instructor sitting in the gym wearing no shirt and an AK-47. The teacher then identified later as Lagregory Thomas 38, from Anniston was acting strangely and seemed to be in a heightened mental state. The principal contacted the teacher and managed to convince him to lay the gun back and away from his.

Calhoun County Sheriff Matthew Wade, advised that the School Resources officer John Gordon was notified immediately and was able to take Thomas to custody outside the gymnasium. It was also mentioned that the security measures at the school were all in place and the students were safe. There were no pupils in the gymnasium at the time of the incident.

It was determined that Thomas was the one who started the fires, but then set them out by himself, that caused the thick smoke. Thomas did not aim his gun towards anyone during the time. Sheriff Wade said, “We are not sure what caused the altered state of mind and we’re using all the tools we have available to discover what took place in the lead-up to this. Mental health is extremely important and when you have an incident like this, it is a great feeling knowing that all involved were able to make the right choices and see this incident end without a hitch.” Sheriff Wade informed that multiple search warrants would be obtained to discover additional evidence as to what led to this crime.

The Anniston Fire Department was dispatched to the school to ensure that the fires were completely put out and also help in removing the building of smoke.

Thomas is currently detained in his Sheriff’s Office but has not been booked as of the time of writing this article. Sheriff Wade has advised that Thomas will likely be charged with Arson 2nd. Additional charges could arise from the current investigation.

Calhoun County Superintendent has issued the following press release: Calhoun County Supervisor has released an official press release through the page on Facebook: page:

Our Calhoun County Schools are committed to the security and safety of our students throughout the system. We take any concerns pertaining to security on campus seriously, and are currently addressing the recent incident which involved the allegations of a staff member carrying a firearm on campus.

On September 21 around 7:50 a.m. I received a letter from the school’s administration at Saks High School regarding a possible violation of our campus ‘ weapons policy. Security personnel on campus as well as local law enforcement agencies were called to investigate the incident. The safety and security of our faculty, students staff, visitors, and guests is our primary concern.

We want to highlight the below points:

1. Security Measures: At none time during this incident was there a real risk to the safety of the campus community. Security measures were immediately established to deal with the incident.

2. Confidential Investigation: We’re conducting a thorough and private investigation into this matter in accordance with our established procedures and in accordance with the applicable law and regulation.

3. Collaboration with Staff Members: The member of the staff member concerned was apprised of these allegations and has agreed to cooperate completely in the investigation. We respect their privacy during this investigation.

4. Support Services: We’ve provided support services to all those who might be affected by this incident. We have also provided help and resources to counsel should they require it.