The Benton County Sheriff’s Office took 18-year old Ozzy Lee Davis of Edwards, MO. into custody on Monday night, March 11, on a 24-hour hold pending investigation into allegations that he made threats against Warsaw High School and a faculty member. Based on results of the investigation, a warrant charging him with first degree terrorist threat was issued on March 12, 2024. Bond was set at $250,000.
Charges were filed and the arrest warrant issued based on credible claims by three witnesses who each reported that Davis had told them directly that he was going to shoot up Warsaw High School and kill the principal.
A first degree terrorist threat is a Class D felony with a potential fine of up to $10,000 (RSMo §558.002). In addition, if convicted, Davis could be sentenced, at the judge’s discretion, to either one year in county jail or up to seven years in prison (§558.011). Under Section 574.115, the felony applies when “… a person, with the purpose of frightening ten or more people or causing the evacuation, quarantine or closure of any portion of a building, inhabitable structure, place of assembly or facility of transportation, knowingly: (1) Communicates an express or implied threat to cause an incident or condition involving danger to life.”
Warsaw R-IX Superintended Scott Gemes said that a parent called on Monday morning, March 11, to report Davis’s threat. And, at 10:36 AM, according to Gemes’ timeline, his secretary notified him that the Sheriff’s Office had called to advise them of the threat and that they should lock down the high school, which they did. Although regular classes were not in session that day, the entire teaching staff was on campus to attend professional development training. The high school’s two Resource Officers who were not required to participate in the training, however, were not on campus.
“I issued a district-wide alert at 10:50 AM,” Gemes said. “A friend and Highway Patrolman responded and arrived at the high school at 11:15 AM, and a deputy sheriff arrived at 11:38 AM.”
Davis was not at the high school on the day or at the time the threats were reported to the Sheriff’s Office. He was located and taken into custody.
Sheriff Eric Knox emphasized that although the protocol for responding to threats is different from the protocol for responding to active shooter situations, “We take these threats very seriously.” He said active situations brings “all hands on deck,” including firefighters and other first responders
Warsaw City Police Chief Chad Eledge noted that WHS is within the Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction. Nevertheless, in active shooter situations the mutual aid agreements among law enforcement units means assistance comes from “all, anywhere, anytime,” including off-duty officers from the City, County, and Highway Patrol.
School shootings have not been foremost in local news for a long time. Six years ago the Enterprise published an article about school shootings in distant places that prompted efforts to make local schools as safe from attack as possible (After Florida Shooting, Area Schools Double Check Security, February 21, 2018).
Superintendent Gemes confirmed the school holds regular drills and training in compliance with official legislation and school policies on security. Sheriff Knox recalled that after taking office on January 1, 2016, by January 6th he had visited the schools in Lincoln, Cole Camp and Warsaw to discuss crisis response readiness.
As a result, the Sheriff’s Office has keys to the school to ensure access during lockdowns. WHS hallways are color-coded and blueprints with the Sheriff for ready reference. WHS now has two Resource Officers who have Sheriff’s authority, and Cole Camp is currently seeking a Resource Officer who will carry the same authority. Lincoln schools’ Resource Officer works with authority granted by the Lincoln City Police.
To date in the case, 24BE-CR00110, the initial hearing was held March 13, 2024. Davis plead not guilty and was assigned a public defender. Another hearing was scheduled for March 19. The Enterprise has no additional information about the defendant at this time.
Superintendent Gemes has never met Davis, he said, and Davis was not currently enrolled at the high school. “I appreciate that the Sheriff’s Office and Highway Patrol resolved the situation as quickly as they did,” he added.
