SUFFOLK, Va. - Students with guns have been reported at Hampton Roads schools recently in the last week. Incidents at three Suffolk schools have prompted police investigations after reports of guns on school property. No students or teachers were hurt in any of these incidents.
"They need to calm down and get to know God," a Suffolk grandmother said.
That’s what one Suffolk grandparent is saying after the recent uptick in guns being found in Suffolk schools.
Tuesday at Lakeland High School, police say a 16-year-old student brought a gun to school. Police received a report from school administrators that a student had a gun. The school was placed on lockdown and searched by police. The 16-year-old Lakeland High School student was taken into custody earlier today. It is still unclear at this time why the student brought the gun to school. Charges have not been announced yet.
Just a day before, Booker T. Washington Elementary School in Suffolk was the target of a false active shooter threat on Monday. Another grandmother was worried about her grandkids who attend Booker T Washington.
"Yesterday, we got a phone call. My son said there was a shooter at Booker T. but come to find out it was a prank call. That’s sad and you got to be worried about your kids every day," the grandmother said.
Suffolk Police received a call of a reported active shooter and performed a sweep of the building. Police say there was no actual threat and not sure who made the call at this time.
"You’re at home thinking your kids are safe and they are not. It’s time to get more security in the school," she said.
Earlier this month, police were called to Oakland Elementary School and found a gun in a 1st grader's backpack. An investigation revealed that a household member of the first-grader placed the gun in the student’s backpack and never took it out. A man is facing multiple charges including reckless handling of a gun.
Safety concerns like this is why a Suffolk parent pulled her kids out of school.
"I homeschool my kids. I have 1 left. He’s a senior and I pulled him out a couple of years ago. I just feel like it’s safer," the Suffolk mother said.
School shootings have been a big concern to her for years.
"I think guns in kids hands are bad," the mother said.
Suffolk has SRO's in every middle and high school. SPS has metal detectors in every school and each school is required to have a metal detector drill every month.
