A man, dressed in tactical gear and armed with a firearm, entered the front office of a Texas elementary school on Tuesday through a door that had not been properly secured, according to officials.
Identified as Kyle Chris, also known as Muhi Mohanad Najm, the 39-year-old was apprehended at his residence on Wednesday evening. He now faces a felony charge for unlawfully carrying a weapon in a restricted area, as reported by Fox Houston, following the incident at Zwink Elementary School.
Originally hailing from Baghdad, Iraq, Chris became a naturalized American citizen on August 24, 2022, at which point he changed his name to Kyle Najm Chris, as stated in court records.
The arrest was executed by Klein Independent School District police at Chris’s home, which is just a short distance from the school.
Although Chris allegedly claimed he was employed as a security guard, reports indicate that he was, in fact, unemployed.
The incident occurred when Chris, armed, entered the Zwink Elementary School premises after another individual left the door improperly closed behind them. (Klein ISD; Google Maps)
The district said Chris got into the school during a 15-second window when the doors didn’t click shut after a parent left the building. He was wearing what appeared to be a uniform and had a holstered firearm, the district said.
However, the school’s “secure vestibule” system stopped him from going any further by keeping him trapped in the front office area, the district said.
“When the individual was asked by the front office staff to provide identification, he did not provide identification, and the front office staff immediately contacted our armed, full-time campus guard,” the district said in a letter to parents obtained by Fox News Digital.
Chris was unable to get into the hallways where students were located.
A classroom at an elementary school. (Getty Images)
He left the school grounds and drove away, the district said. No students or staffers were harmed.
Parents were notified of the incident on Wednesday, the district said, because they were working with law enforcement to identify Chris.
“Sending a public notification during that window could have jeopardized those efforts, tipped off the suspect, and delayed the arrest,” the letter states. “Law enforcement had the individual under constant surveillance today, and out of an abundance of caution, additional security measures were in place on campus, including increased police presence.”
Chris is being held in the Harris County jail on $75,000 bond, according to jail records.
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