Harnett County parents are concerned and outraged regarding multiple recent incidents of guns being found on school campuses. Some are questioning just how safe it is to bring their children to school.
On Wednesday, a 19-year-old student was charged with bringing a gun to his high school in Edgecombe County.
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Deputy J. Long was working as School Resource Officer at SouthWest Edgecombe High School when he and administrators were alerted to a gun on campus. Working quickly, they said they were able to seize the firearm without incident.
Richard Jamal Johnson of Rocky Mount was charged with having a gun on educational property and given a $5,000 unsecured bond.
Aside from Johnson's arrest, the incidents of finding dangerous guns at local schools are starting to pile up – and worry parents. Earlier this week, a gun was found on a student at Western Harnett High School – and just last month, a loaded gun was found in a parked car outside Triton High School.
"It's definitely very frightning," said Lovenia Morrill, a parent from West Harnett High School after receiving a robocall about a gun at her child's school.
Harnett County Sheriff’s Office saud investigators received a tip about a Western Harnett High student with a .45 caliber handgun on campus Monday. The gun was taken away. No one was harmed. Likewise, the gun discovered at SouthWest Edgecombe High School on Wednesday was "immediately located and secured" and "there was no immediate threat to students or staff" according to a statement from the school.
But it hasn’t put this parent at ease.
"I don’t know who’s protecting these kids during the day when I send my son there," said Morrill.
Officers are finding more guns on school grounds.
Investigators in Wake County seized a gun found in a car from two students at Southeast Raleigh High School on Monday. Back in Harnett County - a frightening discovery of a loaded rifle found inside a student’s car at Triton High School.
"Any type of gun on campus creates a danger no matter what their intentions are," said Major Gary McNeill with the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office.
He highlights the consequences a child can face for bringing weapons on campus.
"If it's a weapon like a .45 or .22, then that's a felony. If it’s a pellet gun, then it can be charged as a misdemeanor carrying a concealed weapon can also be charged as you know other minor charges," he said.
A number of parents with students at Western Harnett High calling for better safety measures – and a better response from the school system.
"We just want to know how the situation was handled and what they're going to do to prevent something like this from happening in the future," said Morrill.
WRAL News was told that a number of Harnett County parents plan to voice their concerns before the Board of Education next Monday. Most are interested in investing in security measures like more SROs and metal detectors.