SALADO, Texas — Division is brewing in Central Texas after a Salado ISD employee was placed on administrative leave.
The Bell County Sheriff's Department said in a press release that the employee allegedly brandished a gun after a group of children rang his doorbell and ran away on Saturday, Aug. 19.
The children's parents say after the first alleged shot, the man also shot at their home.
"The kids were at my house," Jennifer Abraham, a Salado ISD parent, said in tears. "They were on the floor on their stomach screaming and crying because they thought they would get shot through the window. The guy was shooting at my front door."
On social media, other parents are coming to the employee's defense, claiming there was no gunshot. They say the burst in the video footage is just a flash from the employee's phone.
Some on social media also believe the man wanted to confront the kids about their behavior.
As the investigation intensifies, Salado ISD Superintendent Dr. Michael Novotny says they are taking the matter seriously, despite the controversy that is brewing up.
"There's a noise that could be a gunshot," Novotny said. "There's the flash that could be the muzzle of the gun, but again, I'm not a ballistics expert. That's why I trust the Bell County Sheriff's Department to make that determination. If he is guilty, then he should face consequences for that, both in terms of the criminal side and the employment side. However, if he's not guilty, then he should not be judged by the community. That's why we have a sheriff's department and a district attorney and a grand jury and judges and juries to make these determinations, and not the court of public opinion to decide someone's guilt or innocence."
Novotny says the outcome of the investigation will determine what happens next.
"Employees' behavior outside of work can still impact their employment here because we do hold our employees to a higher standard," Novotny said. "Trust our Bell County Sheriff's Department to do their job and make that determination and let justice play out one way or the other."
No arrest has been made as deputies are still looking into the off-campus incident. The Bell County Sheriff's Department says they are preparing to release more information in a press release Wednesday, Aug. 23.
The employee has a lawyer and cannot comment until the investigation is complete.