Sheriff's Reports 4-3-25: Four arrested after shots fired near Shady Grove School

Four people were arrested after deputies were called to Shady Grove School for a shots fired call.

On March 25, Cherokee County Sheriff's Deputy Dustin Tannehill was dispatched to Shady Grove School after sounds of several gunshots were reported by staff members. An individual said close to 40 rounds of shots were fired and a woman arrived and said she heard several rounds over the course of a couple of months. She said she believed the shots were coming from Derek Fleming. Sgt. Billy Jackson asked dispatch to check Fleming since they thought he was a convicted felon. Dispatch confirmed Fleming was a convicted felon. Another woman came to the school and said three men were in the area of where the shots were fired, and one of them was Fleming. A search warrant was obtained and deputies went to a residence where a woman was immediately detained. Robin Ellis, Josie Cleveland, Dustin Tuell, and Fleming were all detained. Deputies searched the residence and located an AR-15, a semi-automatic shotgun, a 12-gauge pump, a loaded AR magazine, boxes of 12-gauge shotgun shells, ammunition, as well as a smoking pipe, a metal scale, and a baggie with a crystal-like substance. Fleming and Cleveland were booked for felon in possession of a firearm. Ellis was booked for a warrant and Tuell was booked for possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance. A warrant was requested for another man for allowing a convicted felon to possess and use a firearm.

Deputy Dylan Carder responded to a residence on West Groat Road March 4 for a compliance check on registered sex offender Tony Ling. The deputy said the residence had burned and was unlivable. He attempted to locate Ling for several weeks before he was informed that he was possibly staying within the town of Hulbert. On March 26, Carder located Ling sleeping in a tent outside an apartment in Hulbert. Ling was reportedly residing less than 1,000 feet of Hulbert Public Schools and close to the public park and splash pad. Ling was arrested and booked for failure to register and failure to comply with the registration act.

On March 24, Deputy Jeremy Woodstock was advised that Bobby Joe Sunday started a fire on East 792 Road during a burn ban. The deputy and firefighters with the Welling Fire Department arrived to find Sunday sitting next to a bonfire. The Welling fire chief said Sunday was trespassing on the property. Sunday was arrested and booked for trespassing.

These are arrests, not convictions.