Student brings loaded gun to school but ‘there was never a threat,’ Georgia police say
A Georgia teen is facing weapons charges after allegedly bringing a loaded 9mm pistol to school Wednesday, authorities say.
The 16-year-old freshman at Model High School in Rome was detained pending several gun-related charges, including two counts of weapon possession during a crime, according to a Floyd County Police Department news release.
Police said the unnamed student also faces two counts of weapon possession in a school zone, underage possession of a handgun, possession of a concealed weapon and possession of a vape. In addition to a pistol, police also seized a hunting knife from the teen.
Authorities said “there was never a threat” to staff or the student body, and that the incident is being investigated.
In a letter to parents, Model Principal Kevin Strickland said administrators were tipped off about the possibility of a student having a gun on campus, The Rome News-Tribune reported.
“Upon launching an investigation, the student in question admitted to having the weapon and it was confiscated immediately,” the letter read. The “safety and security of our students and employees are our top priority.”
It’s unclear what disciplinary action the student will face.
Rome is about 65 miles northwest of Atlanta.
This story was originally published August 26, 2021 at 3:21 PM with the headline "Student brings loaded gun to school but ‘there was never a threat,’ Georgia police say."