High school student arrested, accused of bringing gun to school

PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — Channel 2 Action News has learned that a student at South Paulding High School was arrested Monday, accused of bringing a handgun to school.

A school official said “a teacher acted by reporting what she overheard, which led to the student being caught and subsequently arrested."

The student is facing serious consequences, according to school officials.

The following statement from Principal Keith Rowland was sent to parents following the arrest:

Dear South Paulding High School Community,

In our efforts to keep you informed, especially about matters that pertain to student safety, I wanted you to be aware of an incident that occurred at school today. This morning, one of our teachers overheard part of a conversation between two students that suggested one of the students may be in possession of a handgun. The teacher immediately notified administration, and our school resource officer then quickly detained the student in question. Following a search, a handgun was found in the student’s possession.

The matter will now be handled appropriately by the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office and according to school district policy. School safety requires all of us to be active participants, and this is another example that “See Something, Say Something, Do Something” really does work to help maintain a safe school environment for both students and staff. Also, as a reminder, our SafeSchools Alert tip line is a great tool that can be used by students, parents or anyone in the community to make an anonymous report. Simply call or text 470-264-6152, or visit https://www.paulding.k12.ga.us/safety for more information.

Thank you for your support, and if you have any questions feel free to contact me at the school.

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