Pair Arrested With Gun, Drugs At Hall High School

GAINESVILLE, GA — Two men were arrested with drugs and a handgun Thursday after causing a lockdown at a Hall County high school.

According to the Hall County Sheriff's Office, deputies attempted to stop a vehicle on Poplar Springs Road on Thursday for a license plate violation.

Instead of stopping, the driver pulled into the parking lot of Johnson High School, where a passenger got out of the vehicle and tried to run away.

As a result, the school was placed on lockdown.

The passenger, Anthony Perez, 19, of Gainesville, was arrested after a short chase. He was charged with possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, disruption of a public school and obstruction of an officer.

Deputies say the driver, Jerelle Rashawn Phillips, 24, of Gainesville, had Alprazolam — the drug sold under the trade name Xanax — in his possession and a loaded .45-caliber handgun concealed under his seat.

He was charged with felony possession of a concealed weapon, disruption of a public school, possession of Alprazolam and driving with an expired tag.

Both Perez and Phillips were booked at the Hall County Jail. No one was injured as a result of the incident, the sheriff's office said.

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