40-year-old man accused of threatening mass violence at school

BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — A Burke County man is accused of threatening mass violence at an elementary school and having a manifesto and floorplans of the school.

On March 24, the Drexel Police Department served a search warrant at the home of Brandon Dean Johnson, 40, who lives in the 600 block of South Main Street.

The Drexel Police Department also seized an AR-15, two pistols, a 30-round magazine, ammunition, a ballistic vest, and computers from Johnson’s bedroom.

“Brandon is not one to harm kids,” said his sister, who didn’t want to give her name. “He’s not capable of doing this.”

The search warrant said that a “source of information” told police that Johnson had a manifesto with plans to commit a school shooting at Drexel Elementary and “cause as many casualties as possible”.

His family says that a source of information was in jail on other serious charges, and they don’t believe Johnson would hurt anyone.

According to warrants, that “source of information” told police that Johnson tried to recruit him to help with the attack.

“It states in the search warrant that (the source) seen this on Brandon’s computer,” Johnson’s sister said. “He’s been locked up for a year. He ain’t seen nothing.”

Johnson was arrested and charged with communicating a threat of mass violence on educational property.

Channel 9′s Dave Faherty learned parents didn’t find out about it until the next day.

Resident Kelly Martinez’s younger brother attends the school.

“I don’t think it’s right for a school administration to hold that back from the parents,” Martinez said.

The school was on lockdown during the arrest.

The school district said it alerted parents the following afternoon after learning of the arrest and working with police.

The alert notified parents that the district increased security at the school after learning about the threat.

Faherty reached out to the police chief for more information but had not heard back.

The State Bureau of Investigation and Morganton Public Safety assisted with the investigation.

The Drexel Police Department also worked with Burke County Public Schools.

This investigation is ongoing.

VIDEO: 21-year-old woman dies in Burke County fire, investigators say

21-year-old woman dies in Burke County fire, investigators say