Garner police say an 18-year-old South Garner High School student was arrested on May 21, 2026, after officers conducting a drug-related detention found a 9mm handgun in the school’s parking lot. The student, identified in arrest paperwork as Jayden Curtis, was taken into custody and brought to the Wake County Detention Center, where he faces a stack of felony and misdemeanor charges tied to both the weapon and suspected drugs.
How Police Say It Unfolded
According to CBS17, Garner officers were conducting a detention connected to a drug investigation when Curtis refused to get out of his vehicle and locked the door. Officers say he then put his hand under a seat while still refusing to exit. A subsequent search turned up a 9mm pistol with a 3D-printed handle and no serial number, along with drug paraphernalia and a small amount of suspected marijuana. “The situation was safely contained,” Garner police Capt. David J. Casteline said.
Why ‘Ghost Guns’ Have Police On Edge
The gun’s 3D-printed component and missing markings place it in the category of untraceable “ghost” guns that federal officials have been warning about. In a federal rulemaking on firearm identification, the ATF and other agencies note that privately made or 3D-printed firearms often lack serial numbers, which makes tracing and investigations significantly harder; see the Federal Register. Law enforcement officials say that is a big reason why finding such a weapon on school property is treated as especially serious.
South Garner High: A Growing Campus
South Garner High School opened in fall 2018 and now serves roughly 1,850 students, according to the Wake County Public School System. The school sits in a fast-growing part of southern Wake County where officials say they continue to lean on preventive patrols and close cooperation between school administrators and local police.
Charges And What Comes Next
Garner police charged Curtis with felony possession of a firearm on educational property, felony alter/remove gun serial number, maintaining a vehicle for a controlled substance, simple possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana paraphernalia, and resisting, delaying or obstructing officers, as reported by CBS17. Under North Carolina law, possessing a firearm on educational property is a Class I felony, which carries significant penalties if convicted; see FindLaw. Prosecutors will decide how to proceed with the case as investigators and the district attorney’s office review the evidence.
