WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A gun was found at North Forsyth High School Wednesday.
School officials said the gun was found in a trash can outside during a perimeter sweep around 9:15 a.m. by school staff and a School Resource Officer (SRO) while random metal detector searches were conducted inside the building.
The school was put on hold until the students involved could be found. Forsyth County Sheriff's Office (FCSO) took the two students into custody without incident.
Forsyth County Sheriff's Office said all staff and students are safe.
WS/FCS Superintendent, Tricia McManus said this incident makes the 6th firearm found so far in this school year.
Deputies are seeking juvenile petitions for misdemeanor weapon on campus for the two students involved in the incident.
Juvenile Justice denied a secure custody order for the students and they were released into the care of their parents/guardians.
We reached out to Juvenile Justice for more information on this.
They said they look at each situation on a case-by-case basis to determine whether the juvenile is a danger to the public.
If they're not, they release them to their parents – but that doesn't mean they aren't held accountable.
The students' names will not be released due to their age.
The Juvenile Intervention and Investigation Team (J.I.I.T) and FCSO SROs will continue to investigate the incident.
The school system says they will discuss disciplinary actions but the code of conduct says bringing a weapon on campus results in a 365-day suspension.
Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby F. Kimbrough, Jr. released this statement:
“We are committed to the safety of our schools, and we are very grateful for the usage of metal detectors. This incident is a true testament that every resource we have is vital to keeping our kids safe.”
When the sheriff's office posted about the incident on Facebook many people commented saying they're frustrated the students are back home with family and not facing harsher consequences like criminal charges.
WFMY reached out to the state juvenile justice division for an explanation. Here was their statement:
"Pretrial secure custody is reserved for juveniles who pose a public safety risk, or to ensure a juvenile who has a history of not showing up for court hearings comes to court. It cannot be used to punish a child before the court has heard the case."
The division did emphasize that the students will be held accountable which could include electronic monitoring and mental health services.
As for the district, it said it will discuss adding metal detectors to schools permanently Tuesday.
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