2 students brought weapons to a Beaufort County middle school in the past 12 days
In less than two weeks, police have found two students with weapons — a knife and a box cutter blade — at Beaufort Middle School, doubling the previous school year’s weapon reports.
On March 12, a student was found on campus with a multipurpose utility knife with a 2 1/2-inch blade. The student’s case will be sent to family court on a charge of having a weapon on school property, according to a Beaufort Police Department report.
On March 17, a teacher filed a report of assault and intimidation, saying they “felt intimidated” by a student’s actions.
And on Monday, a student was found with a box cutter on campus. “Due to the student’s age no charges will be pursued,” the police report said.
Each report involves a different student, Beaufort Police spokesperson Capt. George Erdel said. State laws protecting juveniles allow for less information to be released in reports or cases involving them.
District spokesperson Candace Bruder said she is “unable to comment on active law enforcement investigations.”
Since hybrid-learning began in October, and students were able to return to school for the first time since March, Beaufort Police have had eight reports at Beaufort Middle School, including the recent three.
Among the other schools in the department’s jurisdiction, Beaufort High School has had 12 reports; Lady’s Island Middle and Beaufort Elementary each had five; and Mossy Oaks Elementary School had one, according to the department.
What about last school year?
In the 2019-2020 school year, 55 police reports were filed at Beaufort Middle School by school resource officer Coley Herbrard, according to public records obtained by the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette.
Only one of those reports was for a weapon found on school property, which was brought to a football game on Sept. 18, 2019. The annual school resource officer report does not specify the type of weapon.
One report was filed the next day about a threat to bring a gun on campus.
Three reports were made for “threat assessments,” while one report was made for student threats.
