Tension and concern gripped Garner Magnet High School on Friday as the school went into a code red lockdown just before noon due to a report of a student seen with a handgun on campus, as confirmed by local law enforcement in a CBS 17 report. Shortly after the report, the student in question fled into nearby woods and was detained by authorities; however, no weapon was found after a thorough search including the aid of a canine unit, this development was detailed in a ABC11 article.
The school remained on lockdown for approximately an hour out of precaution while a comprehensive investigation was conducted, during which time no active threat to students or staff was identified and the incident resolved without injury, the Garner Police Department shared an update via social media stating “The student then fled campus but was detained shortly after. The school is on code red lockdown for now out of precaution.” according to information provided by CBS 17. By 12:45 p.m., officials lifted the lockdown, re-establishing a sense of normalcy across the campus as reported by WRAL News.
The latest incident is part of a string of security problems affecting schools in Wake County and North Carolina. Over the week, there have been unverified social media threats, a firearm discovered on a student at Holton Career and Resource Center on Wednesday, and a possible firearm displayed on a Sanderson High School bus on Monday, these were detailed respectively across reports by ABC11 and WRAL News.
The student involved in the Garner Magnet High incident has fully cooperated with the ongoing investigation however, despite the lack of physical evidence of a weapon, the sequence of these events casts a continuing shadow over a community already strained by safety concerns "Lockdowns and emergencies at schools in central North Carolina have been the norm this week" a fact that seems to bear heavily on the minds of students, parents, and educators alike, as highlighted by ABC11. The Garner Police Department has promised to keep the public posted via social media as more information becomes available.
