ARC student caught with 9 mm handgun on campus

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Among the safety concerns at Richmond County schools this week have been a gun and a plastic knife.

Parents of students at the Academy of Richmond County got a letter Wednesday saying a student had been found with a gun.

“A student brought a 9mm handgun to school that was discovered during an administrative investigation into a safety concern reported by a parent,” the letter stated. “School Safety and Security Officers immediately secured the weapon and are working to complete the investigation.”

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No students or employees were harmed or believed to be in danger, parents were told.

The incident will be addressed based upon applicable state laws and the Richmond County Board of Education Code of Student Conduct and Discipline.

Also in the past few days:

A student brought a plastic toy knife to Goshen Elementary on Monday. Near the end of the day, other kids saw the student move the toy from a bookbag into a pocket and reported the incident to a teacher. The teacher took the student to school administrators who immediately addressed the incident.
On Friday, Copeland Elementary briefly went on safety alert status because deputies were responding to a law enforcement issue in a nearby neighborhood.

Meanwhile in Columbia County, parents got a letter on Friday saying students were found playing with toy weapons at Euchee Creek Elementary.

Two third-graders “were playing with two plastic toys that resembled firearms,” parents were told.

The students had the plastic toys out on the playground briefly during recess with other students before they were immediately confiscated by the school resource officer.