COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Editor's note: This story is from 2023. Click here for the latest incident of two non students shot in the parking lot of the campus.
A gun was found on two 18-year-olds who were apprehended Thursday at McEachern High School in an incident that sparked panic after a picture of a gun was AirDropped to students, arrest warrants show.
According to the arrest warrants obtained by 11Alive on Friday, both suspects involved are accused of varying charges, including reckless conduct and disruption of public schools.
"The accused did enter upon school property with a suspected rifle and had suspected rifle inside a bathroom of McEachern High School," the warrant for one of the suspects state. The warrant for the other suspects says the teen "did possess a suspected rifle on McEachern school property causing alarm and endangering students, staff members and parents."
A message to parents from the school's principal described both suspects as students on Thursday, however the warrants also describe one of the teens as "not enrolled in the high school." It's not clear if that teen ever did attend McEachern.
Both were booked into the Cobb County Jail on Thursday and later released on bonds of $10,000, as well as ordered to stay away from the school. Additional drug charges were applied to both for having marijuana and a THC vape on them when they were booked at the Cobb County Jail.
The incident Thursday triggered a Code Yellow at the school. It was eventually lifted and students were dismissed at their normal time.
"As soon as we were made aware, we contacted the police who immediately began investigating and arrested those involved. The principal communicated accurately to her community as soon as she was able to," a statement from a district spokesperson said. "Keeping students safe is incredibly hard and we are especially thankful for the police officers who responded so quickly. We encourage everyone, including media and parents, to support the police officers who put their lives on the line every day, to keep students and staff, safe.”
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