William R. Gilbert
A 47-year-old Chattanooga man, William R. Gilbert, has been arrested for calling a local news station and the county mayor's office to threaten a school bus driver.
Police said Gilbert gave the news station his information after he called the county mayor’s office regarding a school bus dropping kids off at Dodge City Liquors. According to police, Gilbert intended to “take out” the school bus driver who allegedly kept dropping kids off at the liquor store.
The police confirmed that a Hamilton County School did drop children off at this location. He said since nobody would handle the problem that he would “take care of it himself” using his shotgun.
Gilbert said that he kept getting hung up on at the county mayor’s office, and he made threats saying he would shoot that person as well. He allegedly gave her first name to the news station.
Gilbert called the news station a second time to insure the news stations would be there to cover him “taking out” the bus driver. Gilbert said he knew the times of the drop off would be from 2-3 p.m. and instructed the news station to be there at those times. The police also confirmed that the times Gilbert said the bus would drop off the kids was accurate.
Police said they were able to make contact with Gilbert’s family at his residence. Police said they were informed by his family that Gilbert recently left with his father and uncle to go to Dodge City Liquors.
Police said they tracked his cell phone using the number given by the news station. Officers found his location at the East Brainerd Burger King where they took him into custody.
Police said they obtained a search warrant for Gilbert’s bedroom after two of his roommates denied consent for officers to search his room. Officers found two firearms, seven squares of LSD, over a pound of marijuana, and over $4,000 in cash.
Gilbert was charged with felony reckless endangerment, LSD for resale, Marijuana for resale, possession of a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia.