Christmas parades are typically a time to enjoy the festive holiday decorations, intricate floats and local groups that march down lined streets alongside your family and friends. However, for some young parade participants in a small North Carolina town near the Virginia border, their day in the spotlight was marred by reports of an armed man threatening them as they walked by.
Students marching with their middle school band during Jackson's Christmas parade on Saturday (December 10) got quite a shock when a man began to harass them, with students reported that he was threatening them with a shotgun, Police Chief John Young told WRAL. The man was not a spectator of the parade; rather, he was on the porch of one of the homes along the parade route.
According to the band director, the man who allegedly threatened the students was complaining that the group, who he said was the school's dance team and drumline, was too noisy as they marched along the route.
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing. So far, no arrests have been made and no arrest warrants have been issued. Young confirmed that the city's mayor and other elected officials have been notified about the situation.