School officials find loaded gun in bookbag at N. Charleston High School

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A 14-year-old boy will be facing charges after school officials found a loaded gun in a bookbag at North Charleston High School.

North Charleston police officials said around noon on Monday officers were called after a suspicious bookbag was found. A report states school officials looked inside to see who it belonged to and found a loaded firearm.

According to police, the schools SRO conducted an investigation and identified the alleged offender as a 14-year-old boy.

NCPD officials said the teenager will be charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds.

Investigation begins with report of suspicious bookbag

The incident started when the school’s resource officer was told by a school administrator of a suspicious book bag inside a classroom. The administrator said the teacher told him that multiple students were talking about the bookbag and pointing at it.

The police report states that once class was dismissed for lunch, the teacher grabbed the bookbag and put it behind the teacher’s desk.

The SRO and the administrator responded to the classroom, and the administrator opened the bookbag and a black and chrome Smith and Wesson handgun was seen inside the bookbag. The report states that also inside the bookbag were a pair of sandals, school paperwork with the suspect’s name written on it, and a right hand gardening glove, all of which was covered in dirt.

School administrators said they located the 14-year-old male, 9th grade suspect and escorted him to a counsel room in the front office.

The suspect’s mother was notified of the situation by school administrators.

An NCPD corporal responded to the scene and detained the suspect in handcuffs, read him his rights and proceeded to question him.

According to investigators, the suspect said, “I don’t know” to all the questions.

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