2 students charged after bringing guns to Battery Creek High School, officials say
Battery Creek High School was under lockdown for several hours Wednesday after two students were found with handguns. Beaufort County school officials said there was “no direct threat” made to students or faculty.
The lockdown began around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday after the first gun was found on a student, according to Master Sgt. Robert Herlong of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. Police searched the student after receiving an anonymous tip about possible suspicious activity.
Information from the first student prompted police to question another Battery Creek student, who was also found with a handgun about an hour later.
Police did not release the students’ names because they are minors. Both were petitioned to family court on charges of possessing a firearm on school property, which is a felony under South Carolina law, Herlong said.
Officials lifted the lockdown around 3:15 p.m., according to Candace Bruder, a spokesperson for the Beaufort County School District. All after-school activities at the high school were canceled.
Battery Creek would institute “a lot more security and safety measures” in the days following the incident, including an increased police presence, Herlong said.
Per district policy, students who bring firearms to school are put up for expulsion, Bruder said.
This story was originally published March 19, 2025 at 4:09 PM.
