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Deputies arrest second student for making terroristic threats
Crime - LOCAL
Evan Newton
Updated: Sep 10, 2024, 6:56 PM
Published: Sep 9, 2024, 5:45 PM

NEWTON COUNTY – Police have arrested a second student suspected of making terroristic threats.

On Sept. 6, a 12-year-old male student at Clements Middle School was arrested for making in-person threats toward students and staff at the school. He was formerly charged with making terroristic threats and acts and was taken to the Juvenile Court System, according to the Newton County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO).

An incident report stated the 12-year-old told other students that he was going to "shoot up the school."

This is the second time within the last week that a student in the Newton County School System has been arrested on these charges. Last week a 13-year-old student was arrested on similar charges for in-person threats at Eastside High School.

Police have been vigilant within the last week across the state in cracking down on potential threats after the mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, just 40 miles away from Newton County. The shooting killed four people – two students and two teachers – and injured nine others.

In a statement from Newton County sheriff Ezell Brown, a warning was issued to students and parents who may engage in any type of threats or violence.

"Let us take time and encourage our youth not to make threats and not to get themselves entangled with the law,” Brown said via an NCSO news release. “Entanglement with the law can and will follow you throughout your adult life. I urge you please refrain from Facebook and focus on your textbook."

Newton County Schools issued the following statement on the matter:

“Newton County Schools has experienced two separate incidents in which a student at Eastside High School and one at Clements Middle School made threatening remarks regarding school safety. In each case, law enforcement was notified. The students in question will face possible legal consequences in addition to disciplinary actions for violating the Newton County Schools' Student Code of Conduct.

 The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority, and we take any and all threats seriously. We urge parents to speak with their children about the gravity of making threatening remarks, as these actions carry significant legal and disciplinary ramifications. Newton County Schools remains committed to providing a safe environment for all students and staff.”
Newton County jury finds Covington man guilty of felony murder
Shane Robinson
Shane Robinson - photo by Courtesy of the Newton County Sheriff's Office
Kate Verity
Published: Mar 31, 2025, 9:15 PM

NEWTON COUNTY – On Monday afternoon, 30-year-old Shane Alexander Robinson of Covington was found guilty of killing Charles Edward Stanley III over three years ago.

The Newton County District Attorney’s Office released that a jury deemed that Robinson was guilty on three charges: Felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

On March 5, 2022, sometime between 11 p.m. and midnight, Robinson shot an AR-style firearm at a vehicle that Stanley was driving along Harvey Wood Drive. According to the District Attorney’s release, Robinson fired the weapon 13 times into the vehicle, killing Stanley.

According to a previous report by The Covington News, an arrest warrant stated that Robinson “grabbed his AR-15 (rifle) and drove” from his home to Harvey Wood Drive to “scare” Stanley.

“When Charles was backing up, Shane admitted to firing several rounds at the vehicle,” the 2022 warrant stated. “Furthermore, Shane also initially stated that he fired rounds at the vehicle as it was driving away.”

Robinson initially faced charges of murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, unauthorized discharge of firearms within 50 yards of the public highway, and reckless conduct. It is not clear if some of these charges were dismissed.

Sentencing is set for a later date, which has not been announced. A co-defendant’s case is still pending.