Student finds guns at a Lexington County school, now a man is charged, sheriff says
A student found guns in a bag at his high school, and now a man is behind bars, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said Thursday.
The guns were discovered in the parking lot at Lexington High School on Tuesday, the sheriff’s department said in a news release.
The student saw the bag about 7 a.m. near the baseball field and opened it in an effort to identify the owner, thinking it was another student, Lexington County School District One spokeswoman Mary Beth Hill said in a news release.
That’s when the student saw two handguns, the sheriff’s department said.
“Once the student saw two guns were inside, he notified an administrator and our school resource officer became involved,” Sheriff Jay Koon said in the release.
Following an investigation, Brent Wilson Skinner turned himself in Thursday morning, the sheriff’s department said.
The 48-year-old Lexington man was exercising near the campus in the early morning hours before students were at the school, according to Koon.
“Two handguns were in a bag he left in a school parking lot after his workout,” Koon said
Skinner is charged with carrying weapons on school grounds, jail records show. He’s being held at the Lexington County Detention Center, and no bond has been set, according to jail records.
If convicted, Skinner faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $1,000 fine, according to South Carolina law.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
“The student should be applauded for making the right decision,” Koon said. “Because of his response, we worked with school administrators to keep everyone on campus safe.”
Hill echoed those sentiments, saying the district is “proud of the student,” and “grateful for its strong partnership with law enforcement.”
The district said it encourages students and parents to report any safety concerns to administrators, resource officers, counselors, teachers or other employees.
There is also a tip line where safety concerns can be reported anonymously by texting 803-636-8317, or emailing 1607@alert1.us.com.
“The district believes that every child deserves a safe learning environment,” Hill said.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published January 9, 2020 at 10:36 AM.
