High school student arrested for having gun at Greenville County school

The Simpsonville Police Department arrested a ninth-grade student who had a gun Monday at Hillcrest High School, a Greenville County Schools spokesman said.

The Hillcrest student turned himself in Monday morning to a school resource officer at the school, said Oby Lyles, the director of communications for the school system. The handgun was unloaded, Lyles said, but the student also had a magazine with several bullets. The student was transported to the Simpsonville Police Department.

“We understand from the Simpsonville PD that he was charged with having a weapon on school grounds and unlawful possession,” Lyles said in a release.

The freshman has been suspended and recommended for expulsion, Lyles said.

The student said he had the gun for “protection on the streets,” Simpsonville Police Chief Keith Grounsell told The Greenville News. Grounsell said he is not sure why the gun was brought to school or what made the student turn himself in.

“Our SROs have good rapport with this student and many others,” Grounsell said, “therefore I believe that played a role in him voluntarily turning the gun over to the SRO.”

Lyles said parents were notified with an automated telephone call.

This story was originally published November 30, 2015 at 6:31 PM.