MCLEANSVILLE, N.C. — Two minors face charges in connection to a gun found on the campus of Northeast Guilford High School late Monday afternoon.
The Guilford County Sheriff's Office said a school resource officer (SRO) and administrators at Northeast received word about the 'possible presence of a gun on campus.' The SRO and administrators found the people in question in a car in the parking lot, and inside the car, they found the weapon.
Deputies charged two juveniles with possession of a weapon on educational property and possession of a stolen firearm. The Guilford County Sheriff's Office said the weapon was found inside a car and the gun was stolen out of Catawba County. Due to their ages, the sheriff's office is not revealing their names but reminds all students to report suspicious activity directly to law enforcement and school administrators.
Guilford County Schools officials confirmed the incident happened after dismissal, around 4:15 p.m. School was in session as normal Tuesday.
WFMY reached out to all of the Guilford County School board members to see if there has been any discussion or plans for additional safety measures to be in place. At this point, board member Pat Tillman responded and said safety is always a top priority for the district.
Guilford County Schools Superintendent Dr. Sharon Contreras said while school protocols are working, it's clear that they can't address the issues of weapons alone.
Contreras sent the following statement:
"Once again, a tip from students and the quick actions of the Northeast Guilford High School administration and law enforcement helped us identify and possibly avert a very serious situation in our schools. While it's clear that our protocols are working, it's also clear that schools can't address the issues of weapons alone.
We need more help from parents, community leaders and policy makers. Guns are too easy for children to get and as we see in news reports, there are far too many in the hands of children in North Carolina. Crime rates are going up; this was true before the pandemic, and is more true now. The fact that this trend is statewide should be cause for alarm.
Schools reflect communities, and we need to heed the warning signs now. While we, as educators, can't solve this on our own, we stand ready to do our part."