Iowa City Grant Wood Elementary placed on brief ‘hold’ Wednesday

IOWA CITY — Grant Wood Elementary School in Iowa City was placed on hold — a type of lockdown where students and staff are kept in classrooms — about 9 a.m. Wednesday after an armed parent in the office began to threaten staff members, authorities said.

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The parent, identified as Brandon J. Jones, 31, of Iowa City, entered the building to confront the principal about sending his son home from school. Staff told police he entered the main office and demanded to see the principal. He threatened to assault the principal and another staff member who tried to de-escalate the situation, according to a criminal complaint.

Jones had a handgun on his hip and proceeded to hand it to his girlfriend, who had come into the school with him, saying something along the lines of “hold this so I don’t do something stupid with it,” the complaint states. She took the gun outside.

Jones then went into the school hallway, against protests of staff, and began looking for the principal. When staff told him they were calling the police, he went outside where he took the gun back from his girlfriend before being stopped by police, according to the complaint.

Surveillance video confirmed the staff’s story about what happened, the complaint stated. Jones’ girlfriend told police she had told him not to bring the gun to the school.

Superintendent Matt Degner sent an email to families Wednesday informing them about the incident. The Iowa City Police Department informed the school district there is no threat to the school, the email said.

Jones faces one count if carrying weapons on school grounds, a Class D felony, and two counts of first-degree harassment, both aggravated misdemeanors.

During the incident, the building was placed on hold, which means classroom doors were closed and locked, and no one was allowed in the hallway or around the building. Classes resumed as normal for the remainder of the day and school counselors were on-site for any staff or student who would like to speak about the incident.

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