Carjacking suspect sought in Mars Hill, college briefly on lockdown

by: Jonathan Austin from 12.3.08

MARS HILL – Mars Hill College has lifted its campus lockdown tonight though law enforcement from two states are continuing to search for an armed man wanted in a carjacking in Carter County, Tenn.

School officials instituted their campus wide emergency communication system to alert students, staff and faculty.

Madison County Sheriff John Ledford said a Unicoi County, Tenn., Constable began chasing the suspect in Carter County Monday afternoon, and the chase led authorities into Madison County. The driver of the black Mustang convertible is believed to be armed with a 9 mm handgun, Ledford said.

“They’ve been in what I would call high speed pursuit,’ Ledford said, while staking out the intersection at the Mars Hill I-26 interchange.

At about 5:10 p.m., Ledford said, “We last had him (seen) here on N.C. 213 in Mars Hill.”

Officers from Carter County, Tenn., Unicoi County, Tenn., the N.C. Highway Patrol and Madison County deputies were searching for the suspect. Ledford said Yancey County authorities had been notified.

Taken from The News Record and Sentinel.

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Mars Hill College, an academic community rooted in the Christian faith, challenges and equips students to pursue intellectual, spiritual, and personal growth through an education that is: grounded in a rigorous study of the Liberal Arts; connected with the world of work; and committed to character development, to service, and to responsible citizenship in the community, the region, and the world. Mars Hill College opened on its current site in 1856, and was chartered in 6, 1859. In 1960, Baptist State Convention approved plans to convert the college into a senior college. The college is located in one of the most beautiful regions of the country. The small town setting is complemented by proximity to Asheville, only twenty minutes away, which allows access to city amenities as well. A dedicated faculty, and personal attention to student learning, are central to the traditions of the college. Their is a link to the school on the left bar of this website. Thank you.