Gwinnett County leaders to discuss solutions to violence
Following a recent streak of violence and other situations in Gwinnett County schools that have drawn great concern, local leaders will gather Wednesday evening for a discussion about solutions.
“This is an all-call and all-hands-on-deck community opportunity for us to pull together to empower and educate our students and community at large,” the event description states. “Helping our students to understand the importance of conflict resolution and helping our community to see that we are all a part of the solution is key.”
The event will be at 7 p.m. at New Mercies Christian Church, 4000 Five Forks Trickum Road in Lilburn. Attendees may submit questions in advance through an online form.
Scheduled participants include Superintendent Calvin Watts, Board of Commissioners Chair Nicole Love Hendrickson, New Mercies Christian Church pastor Jesse Curney III, Gwinnett Juvenile Court Judge Rodney Harris, Gwinnett Police Chief J.D. McClure and Gwinnett schools Police Chief Tony Lockard.
After a Norcross High School student was shot and killed near the school, Watts said he would convene the community to discuss violence he said was spilling into schools. The use of guns in some instances elevated gun control as an issue, with the school board chair, political candidates and student activists saying access to weapons is too easy.
Policies in the school drew attention as well: Days prior, Watts and the school board heard from several parents, students and teachers who felt reformed discipline procedures were out of touch with student behavior, causing disruptions and sometimes dangerous situations.
The following incidents have affected Gwinnett schools within the past two weeks:
- On Oct. 21, a Shiloh High School student was accused of shooting at someone in a car near the school as students left for the day. News outlets reported that buses had already departed, but the school and others nearby were placed on a soft lockdown. Kaleb Henderson, 17, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, carrying a weapon within school safety zones and reckless conduct, jail records show.
- DeAndre Henderson, 17, was shot and killed near Norcross High School during the school day on Oct. 26. His mother told Channel 2 Action News she believes he was lured from school to fight someone. Henderson was shot off of school grounds, but the school was placed under a lockdown. Police later named 18-year-old Brendon Young as a suspect on charges of murder and aggravated assault. Young turned himself in to authorities in Jackson County, Florida.
- That same day, Brookwood High School was locked down after a false report on social media that someone had a gun in the school.
- On Monday, Grayson High School Principal Dana Pugh notified students’ families of a fight that happened in a bathroom between two male students. One of the students reportedly wielded a box cutter and sliced the other. Pugh said that student went to the hospital with injuries considered serious but not life-threatening. Pugh noted that a teacher broke up the fight, which multiple students recorded and posted online. He said the students fighting and the students recording would face disciplinary consequences.
About the Author
Josh Reyes covers Gwinnett County Public Schools for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A native of Virginia, he wrote about local government and public safety at the Daily Press and The Virginian-Pilot. He graduated from Christopher Newport University with a B.A. in English.
