Student brings gun to North Myrtle Beach school. Staff able to take it away, police say
North Myrtle Beach Police were called to a school Tuesday on reports that staff had taken a gun away from a student.
Police received a 911 call at 11:50 a.m. from the principal of Valorous Academy stating staff had removed a gun from a student who had brought the weapon to school and was threatening to harm themselves, according to a statement provided by Officer Pat Wilkinson.
A call and email message left for Valorous Academy was not immediately returned Wednesday.
Wilkinson said that the teenager was going through a mental health crisis and was wanting to harm himself.
Police dispatch confirmed that the gun had been taken from the student and the student had been placed in an administrator’s office, the statement said. Police went to the school at 2100 Firetower Road and notified the South Carolina Department of Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team.
Officers transported the student to Waccamaw Behavioral Health.
No one was injured in the incident, Wilkinson said.
Wilkinson credited the quick actions of school staff to de-escalate the situation and remove the firearm.
Valorous Academy is a private school that has students from pre-K to 12th grade and college. It is a ministry of Valorous Church, a non-denominational church.
This story was originally published October 4, 2023 at 9:44 AM.
