A student at Reynolds High School reported being assaulted with a handgun during an attempted robbery in the school's parking lot last Friday afternoon, and investigators say they now have the man they believe did it in custody without bond. Kamron LeShawn Barnett, 21, was arrested Wednesday and faces three felony charges tied to the gunpoint confrontation.
According to the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office, deputies received word of the assault at about 2:01 p.m. on October 23, when a student reported being attacked in the Reynolds High student parking lot. The student said he was assaulted by an unidentified Black male who attempted to rob him while assaulting him with a handgun, authorities said.
The Sheriff's Office School Resource Division and the Juvenile Intervention and Investigation Team opened an investigation into the incident that same day, per the sheriff's office. That inquiry eventually led investigators to identify Barnett as the person they believe was responsible for both the assault and the attempted robbery.
Arrest Comes Five Days Later
Barnett's arrest came on Wednesday with assistance from the Winston-Salem Police Department, according to WXII 12. He was booked into the Forsyth County Law Enforcement Detention Center and charged with weapon on campus/educational property, attempted robbery with a firearm, and assault with a deadly weapon. The station reports that he remains held in Forsyth County custody without bond, and that the investigation into the matter remains ongoing.
Barnett has a first appearance scheduled for today at the Forsyth County Courthouse. The outcome of that hearing had not been reported as of this writing.
What the Charges Could Mean
Under North Carolina law, attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon is treated as a lesser-included offense of robbery with a dangerous weapon, meaning evidence sufficient to prove the completed crime can also support a conviction for the attempt, according to the North Carolina General Assembly's statutory text. Separately, state law spells out that discharging a firearm of any kind on educational property is a Class F felony, per the General Assembly's statute on the subject — a provision distinct from the weapon-possession charge Barnett is currently facing.
Sheriff Pledges Continued School Safety Push
Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby F. Kimbrough Jr. framed the arrest as part of a broader commitment to protecting students and staff. “The most valuable asset are our children and our school administrators and teachers,” Kimbrough said. He added that the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office, Winston-Salem Police Department and District Attorney's Office are committed to school safety, and that authorities will spare no expense to locate and hold accountable those threatening schools.
This is not the first time the Reynolds High campus has been the scene of gun violence. A separate incident reported by WRAL described an R.J. Reynolds High School student being shot on school grounds near the parking lot, with that student shot in the upper leg and recovering in a hospital afterward.
Anyone with information on this week's case can contact the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office at 336-727-2112, submit an anonymous tip through Text-A-Tip at 336-920-8477, or call Crime Stoppers at 336-727-2800 for English or 336-728-3904 for Spanish. The Juvenile Intervention and Investigation Team also has a dedicated information line at 336-917-7030 for families seeking resources related to the case.
