Goose Creek, South Carolina. Police said a kid at Stratford High School was caught with two loaded weapons in his backpack.
According to the Goose Creek Police Department, the firearms were discovered during a random search of the school on Thursday morning.
The principal’s statement stated that Stratford was put on pause while administrators and the Security and Emergency Management team conducted “random and suspicionless” searches with weapon screeners.
The district uses OpenGate Weapons screeners, which identify all metal goods. According to officials, these are used for all athletic and major activities, and they are rotated at random throughout the district’s middle and high schools.
“We have eight high schools and [11] middle schools, and we go them pretty frequently. “Again, unannounced, suspicionless searches – and they’re random,” said Tim McDowell, Berkeley County School District’s chief operating officer. “But that just keeps everyone wondering, ‘Are they coming here today.'” They simply have no idea when we’ll arrive. It is not a planned event in which pupils pick up on a rhythm or anything of the sort.”
During the search, two loaded weapons were removed from the student’s rucksack. “We are following all protocols stated in the District’s rules and procedures to handle this issue and are collaborating closely with law enforcement. “No student was harmed,” the school stated.
“This is only one tool that we employ to keep our pupils secure. We’ve always said that the best defense is to not carry a weapon to school. We have often stated that if you observe something, tell something via our apps. Students are often the ones that speak up. “They may see something on social media that we don’t look at every evening,” McDowell added.
Chief LJ Roscoe informed News 2 that the student, Edgar Salazar, 18, was arrested and sent to jail without incident.
He is charged with simple possession of marijuana, unauthorized carry, and possessing a weapon on school grounds.
The ‘pause’ has since been lifted, and the school has resumed its regular routine.
District officials tell News 2 that this is an isolated incident that has never occurred at Stratford High School. If you have any issues or questions, BCSD recommends you to contact a school administration, a School Resource Officer (SRO), or McDowell personally.
