Boy who took BB gun to class may be charged

By Danielle Deaver

August 29, 2000 Web posted at: 3:44 PM EDT (1944 GMT)

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (Winston-Salem Journal) -- Authorities have petitioned to charge a 14-year-old boy with bringing a BB gun to Mount Tabor High School yesterday and pointing it at a classmate during an argument.

No one was hurt, and the gun was not fired during the encounter, which happened about 8:15 a.m.

The argument between the 14-year-old freshman and an 18-year-old senior began with the two boys just picking on each other during English class, said Paul Puryear, the assistant superintendent in charge of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County high schools.

The teacher picked up the 14-year-old's book bag and started to escort the boy out of the room.

''She picks up the book bag and a BB pistol falls out. He grabs it,'' Puryear said.

The 14-year-old picked up the BB pistol, which resembles a Colt .45-caliber revolver, Sheriff Ron Barker said.

The 18-year-old later said that the gun was pointed at him, Barker said, adding that he did not know whether the BB gun was loaded.

Soon after, the 14-year-old put the BB gun in his bag and ran outside with the 18-year-old. They got into the 18-year-old's car and were driving away when the school resource officer, Tony Anderson, flagged the car down, Barker said.

Officials aren't sure why the students involved in the confrontation left together.

''They apparently were running from whatever might happen as a result of the confrontation they had,'' Barker said. ''Sometimes kids are having a fight one day and make up the next day. That must have been the situation with these two. They must have made up quick.''

The 14-year-old resisted being taken into custody and had to be handcuffed, Barker said. The boy was taken to juvenile detention.

Police and school officials are not releasing his name because of his age, Barker said.

The 18-year-old was not charged, Barker said.

The 14-year old will probably face a 365-day suspension for bringing a weapon onto campus, said Doug Hinson, a spokesman for the schools. That punishment is determined by state law.

Sheriff's deputies have petitioned to charge the 14-year-old with bringing a gun onto campus, assault by pointing a gun and resisting arrest, Barker said.

All three charges are misdemeanors because it was a BB gun, he said. The case will be heard in juvenile court.

The English teacher in the classroom with the boys evacuated the other students and called the school's administrative office after she saw the gun. School officials ''locked down'' the school by telling all students and teachers to clear the hallways, go into classrooms and lock the doors.

Students and teachers were told over the public-announcement system that the situation was over about 30 minutes after the lockdown began.

Lock-downs are part of the school system's crisis-management plan. School principals decide when a situation calls for a lock-down, Hinson said.

Word of the incident spread rapidly among students.

''A whole bunch of kids were pretty much surprised, 'cause they didn't think that anything like that would happen at Mount Tabor,'' said Louis Sloan, 17, a junior.

About 40 students went home early in the two hours after the incident, Hinson said. Some were routine absences, but other students went home because they were upset.

Both students and parents were upset by the incident, said Sloan, who went home early.

''Just the fact of Columbine and everything else that went on. Just to be safe, they felt safer not being there today,'' he said.

School officials said they don't know of another incident when a student took out a gun or a BB gun in school.

''Situations such as this with BB guns or weapons are rare in our schools,'' Hinson said.

There were 78 weapons confiscated in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County schools during the 1998-99 school year, according to the most recent state records available.

For more Local news, myCNN.com will bring you news from the areas and subjects you select.

AL, Birmingham, WBMA AL, Huntsville, WAAY FL, Orlando, WKMG FL, Tallahassee, WTXL FL, Tampa, Bay News 9 FL, Tampa, WFLA FL, Fort Myers/Naples, WINK FL, Jacksonville, WJXT FL, Miami, WPLG FL, Miami, WSVN GA, Atlanta, WGCL GA, Augusta, WJBF   GA, Augusta, WRDW GA, Columbus, WTVM GA, Macon, WGXA GA, Savannah, WSAV GA, Savannah, WTOC KY, Louisville, WHAS LA, New Orleans, WGNO LA, New Orleans, WWL MS, Columbus, WCBI NC, Charlotte, WBTV NC, Charlotte, WCCB   NC, Raleigh-Durham, WLFL SC, Charleston, WCIV SC, Charleston, WCSC SC, Columbia, WOLO SC, Greenville, WHNS SC, Myrtle Beach, WBTW TN, Chattanooga, WDEF TN, Chattanooga, WDSI TN, Knoxville, WATE TN, Nashville, WTVF VA, Norfolk, WTKR VA, Roanoke, WSLS