A Spalding County school principal is asking all parents to check their child’s backpack after a student brought a gun to school, according to school officials.
Channel 2’s Craig Lucie and his photographer spotted several Spalding County sheriff’s squad cars on Kennedy Middle School’s campus in Griffin on Tuesday.
Several students told Lucie that the middle school boy was showing the gun off.
“Someone I know in the school told the officer that the student actually showed him (another student) the gun,” one student told Lucie.
The students who spotted the gun reported it to their teacher, and the school resource officer started searching for it immediately.
A sheriff’s office spokesperson told Lucie that they received a tip about a gun on campus Friday, but they couldn’t find one until the other tips came in Tuesday morning.
“Kids thought they’d seen a gun put in a book bag and so they told the teacher, and they checked the book bag and found one,” said Laine Boyles, a parent.
Judy Parker, the Griffin-Spalding County School System communications director, showed Lucie the text message Kennedy Middle School’s principal sent to every parent.
It said, "Parents, we need your help. When students bring any weapon to school they are endangering all students. Please check your student’s belongings before school to ensure there are no weapons of any kind or anything that can be used as a weapon being brought to school."
The school resource officer removed the student from campus. Parker told Lucie no bullets were found.
“I can’t talk about specific discipline. Action was taken by law enforcement,” Parker said.
Parents told Lucie that they are pleased with how the gun scare was handled.
“I had no fear that my child was in danger at all,” Boyles said.
Several parents and grandparents, however, said they are very concerned.
“You don’t know if that kid is a bully and going to actually use it, or a kid trying to get attention from his peers,” Darlene Clark said.
The Spalding County Sheriff’s Office captain told Lucie that the police report is not yet available, but that the student would likely face several charges as a juvenile.
