Student found with gun at high school in Richland County, SC sheriff says

A student was found with a gun on the campus of a Midlands high school Wednesday morning, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department said.

The incident happened at Lower Richland High School, the sheriff’s department said in a news release. The Richland District 1 school is in Hopkins, at the intersection of Garners Ferry Road and Lower Richland Boulevard.

A 17-year-old student was arrested after the gun was discovered, according to the release. The student’s name is not being made public because of his age.

At about 8 a.m., Lower Richland High administrators told the school resource officer they found a gun in the student’s backpack after it set off the school’s metal detector, the sheriff’s department said.

The school resource officer immediately took possession of the weapon, and the teen was taken into custody, according to the release. The student was charged as a juvenile for possession of a firearm on school property, possession of a pistol under the age of 18, and unlawful carry of a handgun, the sheriff’s department said.

The teen was booked into the juvenile wing of Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, according to the release.

No injuries were reported. There was no evidence that the gun was presented to anyone, and no threats were made to any students or staff, the sheriff’s department said.

There was no word if the high school was placed on any kind of lockdown, or other security protocol, or if the student will face punishment from the district or school.

This is not the first time a gun was discovered at Lower Richland High in the past few years.

In May 2022, a 15-year-old student was arrested after he was found with a loaded gun on the high school’s campus, the sheriff’s department said.

In March 2022, a 16-year-old student was arrested after being found with a stolen, unloaded handgun at Lower Richland High.

In May 2021, another student, a 17-year-old male, was found with a gun at Lower Richland High and charged, the sheriff’s department said.

No one was hurt in any of the previous incidents, according to the sheriff’s department.

In October 2022, a 16-year-old Lower Richland High student was charged with multiple crimes for making a prank call about a shooting at the school. It was determined to be a false 911 call made from the school’s campus, the sheriff’s department said.