ATLANTA — No one was is hurt after a student was caught with a loaded gun in their backpack at an Atlanta charter school on Tuesday.
According to a statement from Head of School Peter McKnight, a student brought a loaded gun to Drew Charter School in a backpack. The school serves over 1,800 students in grades Pre-K through 12, according to its website.
McKnight said school officials learned about the incident after another student reported it to a staff member. That's when the Atlanta Public School Resource Officer contacted Atlanta Police, who then responded to the charter school.
The student apparently told police they did not bring the weapon with harmful intentions, according to McKnight.
"Please know that we take this incident very seriously as the safety and security of our students and staff are paramount. We will continue to do all we can to protect everyone and maintain a safe learning environment," he wrote in a statement.
No students or school staff were injured. There is no word on what repercussions if any, that student will face at this time.
Here's the full statement from Head of School Peter McKnight:
I wanted to reach out to let you know about an incident on Drew’s Elementary Academy campus earlier today. One of our Elementary Academy students brought a loaded weapon to school today in a backpack. No students or staff members were harmed, and the weapon was retrieved without incident. We learned about the weapon from a student who reported it to a staff member. Upon learning of the weapon, our APS School Resource Officer quickly contacted the APS Police Department and the Atlanta Police Department who were immediately dispatched onsite. After speaking with the student, it is believed that the student did not bring the weapon to school with harmful intent.
Additionally, I am reminding our Drew community that it is against APS and Drew Charter School policy to have weapons on campus. We urge our students to report any instances of weapons at school to a parent, teacher, principal, counselor, or school resource officer.
Please know that we take this incident very seriously as the safety and security of our students and staff are paramount. We will continue to do all we can to protect everyone and maintain a safe learning environment. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your student’s academy principal. Thank you for your continued support of our school.