Man accused of bringing 2 guns, knife onto school grounds

School officials said a Dallas man brought weapons onto the campus of East Paulding High School on Monday.

Students reported Derek Justin Griffin, 36, to the school resource officer when they saw he had a knife, Principal Jason Freeman wrote in an email to parents.

The school officer questioned Griffin and quickly found he also had two guns in his possession. That’s when he was arrested and the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office was called, Freeman said.

Authorities told Freeman the guns were in poor condition and may not have been operational.

“At this time we have no reason to think there is any continued threat to the school, our students or staff,” Freeman wrote.

Griffin faces a charge of possession of weapons on school grounds, sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Ashley Henson said.

Know what's really going on with crime and public safety in your metro Atlanta community, including breaking news, trial coverage, trends and the latest on unsolved cases. Sign up for the AJC's crime and safety newsletter delivered weekly to your inbox.

In other news:

VIDEO: Fishing Boat Catches Shark Breaching Off Cape Cod

About the Author

Ellen Eldridge