Chelsea Middle gunman arrested
A gunman who entered Chelsea Middle School on Feb. 12 has been arrested and is being held in Shelby County Jail on a bond of $5,015,000, according to Shelby County Sheriff Chris Curry.
At approximately 3 p.m. on Feb. 12, Chelsea Middle School initiated a lockdown after it was reported that a man armed with a gun was in the school. A Shelby County Sheriffs deputy assigned to the school for security purposes immediately moved from the front entrance to where the gunman was seen.
There, he and the principal confronted the gunman and learned that he was holding five female students against their will in the girls’ locker room. Over the course of the next few minutes, the deputy and principal talked the gunman into releasing the students and then surrendering himself.
Curry said the deputy assigned to the school was vital in diffusing the situation thanks to special training he received to be certified as a school resource officer.
"His constant presence on campus and his knowing school and how to quickly reach the locker room helped have he and the principal in a position to control the situation within 20 seconds," Curry said.
No one was injured in the incident, and the suspect was transported to the Shelby County Jail.
On Feb. 13, Sheriff’s investigators obtained six arrest warrants for Ryan Matthew Sims, a 21-year-old Chelsea resident; these included five warrants for kidnapping first degree and one warrant for terrorist threats. He remains in the Shelby County Jail.
In a release, Curry thanked federal law enforcement partners, the Hoover Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies and Chelsea Mayor Earl Niven for their assistance.
Sheriff Curry has re-affirmed his commitment to place a deputy in each of the Shelby County schools where the Sheriff’s Office has primary jurisdiction. Deputies will continue to be present at these schools while students are there to ensure their safety.