FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Deputies have taken an armed man into custody after they say he was spotted loitering on a high school campus in Forsyth County, Wednesday.
Earlier in the afternoon, school officials said personnel spotted the man, 41-year-old Gene Steven Barbara, on the campus of Alliance Academy for Innovation. They immediately called their school resource officers for help.
The officers were able to quickly confront the man, who they found with two concealed handguns. However, they also said he had a concealed carry permit and appeared to have no intention of harming anyone at the school.
Despite this, because he was on a school campus, he was arrested for possession of firearms in a school zone and was cited for loitering and prowling.
The sheriff's office reiterated that he had a valid license and didn't appear to be on the campus to hurt anyone. However, neither agency has elaborated on why he was on the campus. The school did, however, stress that he never entered a building.
In a letter to parents, Principal Brandi Cannizzaro encouraged the public to remember the importance of "See Something, Say Something."
In their own response, the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office thanked school employees for doing exactly that. They also commended the resource officers for their quick response.
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