New Kent Charles City Chronicle

News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | March 29, 2024

Gun in school incident leads board toward metal detectors

By Alan Chamberlain | April 29, 2010 10:48 am

An incident where a Charles City elementary-age student carried a firearm to school is prompting county school officials to authorize walk-through and handheld metal detectors for all three county schools.

On March 8, a student at Charles City Elementary School brought a .22-caliber semiautomatic handgun to school. The student, described only as a boy in the lower grades, showed the weapon to another child. That student reported the incident to school staff.

School Superintendent Janet Crawley labeled the weapon as “inoperable” while discussing the incident during the April 20 School Board meeting.

“We shudder to think what would have happened had it been operable,” she said.

Sheriff’s office Capt. Jayson Crawley said the weapon was missing its slide and therefore could not be fired. No ammunition was brought to school with the handgun.

Capt. Crawley said county commonwealth’s attorney Rob Tyler decided not to file charges, thus the incident was not made public at the time. He said in speaking with the boy’s parents, the child apparently found the handgun in a trailer used for storage. Some of the child’s toys were also stored in the trailer.

“We guess he came across it while he was in the trailer getting his toys,” the captain said.

Sheriff’s personnel confiscated the weapon. The student was placed on “long-term suspension,” the superintendent said.

Parent Mark Loan brought up the incident during the School Board meeting’s public comment session, imploring board members “to take the safety of children to heart” after hearing money may not be available for purchasing metal detectors.

“Schools have a code of conduct, but it’s not working and must be fixed,” he said. “Don’t delay. We need it now. If something happens to the children, it’s something all of you will have to live with.”

Melvin Robertson, the schools’ director of administrative services, told the board that the schools’ Safety Committee is embarking on an audit this week and is expected to recommend metal detectors for all schools.

“Our goal and desire is to detect those things at the start of the school day and not during the school day,” he said.

Walk-through detectors, one for each school, are available at a “discount” price of $1,999 each while handheld versions can be bought for $19.95 each, Robertson said when contacted later. He said the procurement process would get underway “as soon as the superintendent signs the purchase order.”

Robertson said he plans to recommend that the School Board pay for the devices. No action was taken at last week’s meeting. The superintendent said the schools’ PTA organizations could be asked to help defray cost if the board does not allocate money.

Board member Preston Adkins expressed concern about high school students entering and leaving their building at different access points.

“We’ll just have to have them all enter through the same door,” Robertson said.