Student charged after bringing pistol to Beaufort-area high school, cops say
A 16-year-old male student at Battery Creek High School was criminally charged after police found him with a pistol on campus shortly before dismissal Wednesday afternoon.
The school resource officer detained the student around 3 p.m. Wednesday before he was taken to the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. It was not immediately clear how authorities became aware of the firearm.
No threats were made toward students or staff, officials said.
The incident came only hours after a gunman opened fire during Mass at a Minneapolis Catholic school, killing two children and injuring 17 others before killing himself.
As police responded, Battery Creek was placed on a “secure status,” meaning faculty brought students inside and locked classroom doors before continuing a typical schedule, according to Candace Bruder, a spokesperson for the Beaufort County School District. Dismissal was not delayed by the incident.
Police reminded residents that weapons are “strictly prohibited” on all campuses of the school district, also asking parents and guardians to talk to their children about reporting any violations to school staff.
This report will be updated.
