“We are actively communicating with federal and local agencies about residents’ reports of drones spotted in eastern North Carolina and are working to find answers,” said U.S. Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C.

The federal government, said national security spokesman John Kirby, hasn’t identified public safety or national security risks. Sightings started in the northeast last month, speculation has intensified, and there’s been little to no explanation.

Reaction has ranged from marvel and wonder to the paraphrase of a number of both Democratic and Republican politicians to “shoot first, ask questions later.”

“There are more than 1 million drones that are lawfully registered with the Federal Aviation Administration,” Kirby said. “And there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones that are lawfully in the sky on any given day. That is the ecosystem that we are dealing with.”

That said, federal probes have been started. There have been more than 5,000 reports to the FBI, with roughly 100 drawing investigations, says a joint statement put out by the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Department of Defense.

Published reports of similar sightings exist to the west in California, the Midwest in Minnesota, and even across the Atlantic in England.

A North Carolina father was arrested Monday after allegedly storming into a high school and strangling a teenage student in a caught-on-video attack.

Quinton Lofton, 43, was charged with felony assault by strangulation and disorderly conduct for allegedly jumping a 17-year-old inside the halls of Fike High School in Wilson the same morning, CBS 17 reported.

Lofton, who has a child at the school, was supposed to report to the high school’s office but instead targeted the student — allegedly over a prior dispute outside its halls.

“The parent did not report to the office and instead assaulted a student in the hallway,” Fike Principal Ross Renfrow said in the statement to families obtained by the local station.

The attack was an escalation of a “situation that happened outside of school,” Renfrow added without providing further details on the said situation.

The Wilson County Sheriff also said the assault was over “an isolated incident that occurred outside of school.”

Disturbing footage of the beat-down obtained by WRAL News shows Lofton allegedly grabbing the student by the neck and tossing him down onto a staircase.

The teen appears to seize as his body lies on the stairs but is able to slowly get up and walk away shortly after, according to the clip.

Staffers then separated the grown man from the student, “diffused the situation and escorted the parent out of the building,” Renfrow said.

The student’s family questioned how Lofton was allowed inside the school and able to attack the teenage boy without any intervention.

His older sister said he was “traumatized” by the assault.

“He’s very shaken up by the whole event that took place this morning,” his sister Shaniqua told WRAL. “He’s pushing through. He’s trying to, you know, remain positive through the whole situation.”

School officials called authorities and the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office arrested Lofton. He is no longer permitted at the high school.

Authorities have arrested a parent accused of barging into a high school in North Carolina and attacking a student.

The incident occurred Monday morning as the parent, who was not identified, was “directed to report to the office” when they entered the Fike High in Wilson, North Carolina, Principal Ross Renfrow, said in a statement sent to families viewed by USA TODAY.

However, the parent “did not report to the office and instead assaulted a student in the hallway based on a situation that happened outside of school.” The reason behind the attack was not immediately known.

Renfrow said he and other staff members intervened immediately, “diffused the situation, and escorted the parent out of the building.”

Video footage of the incident shared by local news outlet WRAL News shows the parent grabbing a boy by the shirt and dragging him before forcefully pushing him toward a staircase. As the suspect is pulled away, the boy, who is reported to be 17 years old, appears to experience a seizure before slowly getting up and walking away.

Parent banned from campus

Renfrow said the school is “working in collaboration with the sheriff’s office and charges have been filed,” adding the parent will no longer be allowed on campus.

While the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for an update on the incident, local news outlets WNCN and The Wilson Times reported the parent, identified as Quinton Earl Lofton, was charged with felony assault by strangulation and disorderly conduct for entering the school Monday morning and assaulting a “student over an isolated incident that had occurred outside of school.” The accused was also placed in the Wilson County Detention Center under a $7,500 secured bond, as per The Wilson Times, but bonded out within a couple of hours.

Information regarding Lofton’s attorney was not immediately available.

“The safety of our students and staff is our top priority. Please use this situation as a reminder that we will not tolerate violence or threats against our students or staff,” Renfrow said.

The student’s sister, meanwhile, told WRAL her brother was “pretty traumatized” by the incident.

“He’s very shaken up by the whole event that took place this morning,“ she said. “He’s pushing through. He’s trying to, you know, remain positive through the whole situation.”

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.