A tense lunch hour at Hillgrove High School in Cobb County ended quickly Tuesday after officials say a firearm was found on campus, a 15-year-old student was detained, and the school briefly went into a code red before classes snapped back to normal about 12 minutes later. Students were spotted outside near the stadium during the response, and school leaders told parents there was no active threat.
Police and district response
Cobb County police officers were called in to back up the Cobb County School District police at Hillgrove, according to Atlanta News First. The outlet reported that a firearm was recovered on campus and that a 15-year-old student was taken into custody while officers secured the area Tuesday afternoon.
District message and timeline
In a statement to Atlanta News First, the Cobb County School District said "there is no active threat, and teaching and learning have resumed." Both the district and the station said the situation was wrapped up in roughly 12 minutes. Aerial video from the station's First Alert chopper showed clusters of students outside near the stadium and then filtering back into the building just before 1 p.m.
How this fits into county trends
Incidents involving weapons or weapon scares at Cobb schools have led to swift police responses in recent months. For example, FOX 5 Atlanta reported a call about a firearm at Sprayberry High in February that ultimately turned up no weapon. And WSB covered a BB gun found at Pebblebrook High last year that led to multiple student arrests.
Legal and disciplinary consequences
Under Cobb County School District policy, a firearm counts as a Category I weapon, the most serious level, and can trigger criminal referrals along with possible expulsion. According to the district's family information guide, any weapon on campus must be confiscated and turned over to CCSDPD or another law enforcement agency.
It was not immediately clear whether formal charges had been filed in the Hillgrove case, and district and county officials did not release additional details. This story will be updated as authorities provide more information.
