ATLANTA, Georgia (Atlanta News First) – A Fulton County high school was placed on strict lockdown Thursday afternoon as police investigated reports of a gun on campus, leading to charges against a student.
On Thursday, a student at Banneker High School said another student had a gun, according to a letter sent to parents by Principal Vincent Golden. School police and security personnel searched the school and found an air rifle, after which the curfew was lifted, Golden said.
“While we have a detailed safety plan that we practice regularly, a strict lockdown can be frightening and rightly cause anxiety among our students,” Golden wrote. “We appreciate all students and staff responding appropriately.”
Officials said the student was charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds and disrupting public school operations. Additional charges may follow.
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Schools in Georgia and across the country have been on high alert since the Sept. 4 shooting at Apalachee High School that left two teachers and two students dead. On Wednesday, a student at Hollis Hand Elementary School in LaGrange was charged with bringing a “splat gun” to school, police said. And on Monday, a student at Cousins Middle School in Covington was arrested for allegedly bringing a real gun to campus.
“As a father and educator, I need your cooperation to contact your student following today’s events,” Golden said in his letter to Banneker High School parents. “Student behavior that compromises the safety of our school will not be tolerated. Please reiterate that to your student this evening.”
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