Two students at Wheeler High School in Marietta are in custody and facing criminal charges after officials say they brought a firearm onto campus Thursday. The incident marks the second time in less than a month that a weapon has been recovered from a Cobb County public school, following an August 11 gun recovery at Campbell Middle School in Smyrna.
What Happened at Wheeler High
A district spokesperson confirmed the incident occurred at Wheeler High School on September 3, according to CBS News Atlanta, though authorities did not explain how the firearm was discovered or detail the specific charges the two students now face. The students have not been identified, and the outlet reports that both now face criminal charges, per the district spokesperson. The spokesperson also asked students and parents to report any safety concerns to the district's tip line.
Wheeler High School Principal Sara Fetterman filled in some of the operational gaps left by the district's initial statement, revealing that the school relies on gunpowder-detecting K-9 units as part of its security strategy, according to East Cobb News. Fetterman urged students not to make a mistake that could ruin their lives, warning that anyone who brings a weapon onto campus will be caught and face the harshest possible penalties allowed by law. She also reassured parents that all students remained safe throughout the investigation, per the same outlet.
Steep Legal Stakes Under Georgia Law
Carrying a firearm inside a school safety zone without a valid weapons carry license is a felony under Georgia Code § 16-11-127.1, punishable by two to ten years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both, according to Georgia Criminal Lawyer. Children charged under the statute are subject to Georgia Code § 15-11-601. Cobb County School District policy also classifies firearms as Category I weapons — the most severe offense in the district handbook — which requires confiscation, may trigger criminal referrals, and can lead to possible expulsion, as Hoodline previously reported in its coverage of a firearm arrest at Hillgrove's gun scare.
Second Incident in a Month for Cobb Schools
Just three weeks before the Wheeler High incident, a student was arrested at Campbell Middle School in Smyrna on August 11 after allegedly bringing a handgun to campus and threatening classmates, officials said. That student, who was arrested in connection with the firearm, would face the full range of legal consequences, officials said at the time. The Campbell Middle School case occurred seven days into the school year, and Wheeler High's arrest now makes it the second gun-related incident reported within a month.
The pattern extends back further. In March, a 15-year-old was arrested after a firearm was found on campus at Hillgrove High School, triggering a brief 12-minute Code Red lockdown before county and district police cleared the campus. In February, Sprayberry High School in Marietta also went into a temporary Code Red lockdown over a gun scare that turned out to be a false alarm.
Security Layers Without Entry Scanners
The Cobb County School District operates its own police department with more than 80 officers who have substantial law-enforcement experience, and every district staff member wears a Centegix wearable panic-alert badge capable of triggering an immediate Code Red lockdown. Those layers sit alongside the statewide requirements of House Bill 268, known as Ricky and Alyssa's Law, which Governor Brian Kemp signed in April 2025 to mandate mobile panic alert systems, standardized digital facility mapping, and anonymous tip lines in every Georgia public school district.
Entry-point weapons detection is not described here as universal across Cobb County schools. A proposed statewide weapons-scanner bill, HB 1023, did not pass the Georgia Senate, leaving Cobb County campuses reliant on tip lines, K-9 units, police response, and weapons-detection technology used at some entry points. The article also discusses armed personnel on campus but does not detail the Board of Education's policy, reporting lines, or rules for classroom teachers.
Wheeler High School is part of the Cobb County School District. The available account does not specify its enrollment, grade configuration, specialized programs, founding year, or the district's number of high schools. No further details on the charges facing the two students had been released as of Thursday.
