Student charged with bringing gun to A.L. Brown High

Monday, May 25, 2009 3:00 AM  |  Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend | By Mark Wineka

mwineka@salisburypost.com

KANNAPOLIS — Police charged a ninth-grade student at A.L. Brown High School today with having a gun on campus.

The student is a minor, and the gun was found in a book bag.

Kannapolis City Schools used the Memorial Day holiday as a makeup day.

"No one tried to use the gun," said Ellen Boyd, director of community relations for the school system, "and no one was hurt."

A.L. Brown Principal Dr. Debra Morris sent a letter home to parents and also filed a Connect-Ed message to them.

In that message, Morris reiterated that the boy arrested never attempted to use the gun, and no other student was ever in jeopardy.

School Resource Officer Andrew Deal made the arrest, according to Boyd. She reported the boy has been suspended and is being recommended for expulsion.

Morris said the student will face an automatic 365-day suspension under N.C. law.

"We also will recommend that he be expelled from Kannapolis City Schools, so he will never have permission to be on any of our campuses again," Morris told parents.

Morris said she wanted parents to "hear about an incident like this from us and not from rumors."

Having a gun on a school campus is a very serious violation," the principal wrote in her message. "When something like this happens, we take strong and immediate action because nothing is more important than your child's safety."

Boyd said Kannapolis Police were still investigating Monday afternoon.