Deputies: Man charged in road rage incident following Upstate graduation ceremony

BOILING SPRINGS, S.C. – The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office said a man was arrested and charged following a graduation ceremony at Boiling Springs High School on Saturday.

According to Spartanburg School District Two, friends and family were at the school to witness 604 students graduate from the high school. Following the ceremony, as cars were filing out of the parking lot, officials said a road rage incident took place where a man caused damage to a victim’s car by hitting it with a baton.

Arrest warrants said the man then pulled out a gun and pointed it at more than one person not in self-defense. Deputies have since charged the man, later identified as 52-year-old John David Kanipe, with carrying a weapon on school property, two counts of pointing a firearm at a person and malicious injury to personal property.

Kanipe was held at the Spartanburg County Detention Center for nine hours before he was released on a $6,000 surety bond.

“Unfortunately, the irresponsible actions of an adult in attendance are attempting to take the spotlight off of our Seniors. We are thankful for the incredible response of the large contingent of our partners with the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office and Boiling Springs Fire Department, who were already on campus for graduation and, within moments, intervened in this situation. We are also blessed that no one was seriously injured. We hope that this incident, will only serve to show, by contrast, how incredible our Seniors are and how proud we should all be of them.” Spartanburg School District Two

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