14-year-old girl found with gun at high school in Lexington County, officials say
A weapon was confiscated from a student at a high school in Lexington County Tuesday, school officials said.
The incident happened at Irmo High School, according to a spokesperson from Lexington-Richland District 5.
The student, a 14-year-old female, was charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department told The State.
The student is not being publicly identified because of her age.
School officials took the weapon from the student after it was reported to school administration, Irmo High School Principal Kaaren W. Hampton said in a letter to parents shared by Lexington-Richland 5.
The weapon was identified as a handgun, which was found in her book bag, according to an incident report.
There was no word if the student removed the gun from her bag, pointed it or made threats.
No injuries were reported.
In the letter, Hampton said both “school administration and law enforcement immediately took appropriate action. We have deemed this an isolated incident and the appropriate disciplinary procedures are being followed.”
After being charged, the student was taken to the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and remains in the agency’s custody, the sheriff’s department said.
There was no word if the student is facing further discipline from the school or district.
Information about how the weapon was discovered, and if the school was temporarily placed on lockdown or some other security protocol, was not available.
“At Irmo High School we ... work hard to ensure a safe learning environment at our school and work closely with law enforcement to make safety our top priority,” Hampton said in the letter.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
This story was originally published November 15, 2023 at 1:22 PM.
