HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — A loaded gun was found at North Mecklenburg High School on Tuesday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools said.
Principal Stephanie Hood said resource officers found the gun in a student's backpack shortly after a fight. Huntersville Police later confirmed the gun was stolen and said the weapon wasn't used or pulled out during the fight.
"We ask that you continue to partner with us in creating a safe learning environment for all students by reinforcing with your children that weapons are not permitted in our schools and is a violation of the CMS Code of Student Conduct," Hood said in a message to North Meck families.
Huntersville police haven't identified the student who had the gun or announced any charges at this time. No students were hurt during the incident.
Keeping guns off campus is a priority for families and for CMS, but not an easy task. However, progress has been made. In the 2021-22 school year, 29 guns were confiscated from students on campus. Last year saw six guns taken, and so far this year there have been three.
CMS Chief Operating Officer Brian Schultz said the decrease is because of all of the steps the district has taken to make schools safer, from the body scanners added to all high schools, middle schools, and K-8 schools, to camera systems and the district’s anonymous reporting system.
“Students are really serious about safety in their schools, Schultz said. “They care about their friends, and they do a great job of reporting incidents that they believe are valid, and then those get investigated.”
Despite the drop in numbers, the incident still very concerning to school leaders
“Our youth have had trouble expressing their anger, their discontent, and it resorts to violence. And there's got to be an alternative way of dealing with issues,” said CMS school board member Lisa Cline.
“Without a safe school we can’t have students that learn our staff that feel comfortable teaching in that environment,” said Schultz.
District leaders said they are doing what they can to get that number down to zero, a relief for families.
“It’s really scary especially because I have a 15-year-old and a 10-year-old and you never know what can happen when they go to school,” said Dat Nguyen, a parent.
“Nobody wants their kid to go to school scared to death that someone is going to have a gun in their backpack, said Riley Arnone, an uptown resident. “It won’t be good enough until there’s none.”
School officials say having their own police department and school resource officers also plays a big role in making schools safer.
Youth gun violence has become a growing problem in the Charlotte area with city leaders and community organizations seeking solutions to create a safer environment for teens. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police says there is a growing number of problems that start behind keyboards on social media, leading to gun violence.
"It's because of a lot of peer pressure, we want to be like our friends, and that sometimes gets to the mind," Malachi Thompson, a student at West Charlotte High School, said.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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