Nancy Gregory pushes the debate about metal detectors forward

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Nancy Gregory, the Interim Superintendent for Richland Two says she wants all high school principals in the district to come to the next school board safety committee meeting to talk about a safety plan for all high schools.

It’s a dramatic but all too familiar scene. A law enforcement helicopter up in the air, and deputies on the ground in cruisers scrambling trying to locate a suspect after a brutal, stabbing inside a Richland County School District Two high school.

Greg Turchetta, the Director of Communication for District Two says “It’s concerning when a student is stabbed in a hallway at the school. It is brazen.”

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department caught the suspect a few hours after the 10 a.m. attack.

Authorities arrested 17-year-old Ridge View High School student Tony Abrams and charged him with attempted murder.

Just hours after another violent day at an R2 school, school board members met on April 25 during a board meeting.

The meeting focused on other businesses in the district and the topic of safety was not on the agenda.

A few weeks ago a 9-millimeter gun was taken from a student after he walked through a metal detector at Richland Northeast High School.

The school district says this school year, more than 28 weapons including guns and knives have been confiscated from students.

There have been at least 37 school threats.

Richland Two officials are already exploring the idea of buying metal detectors and using them at their five high schools in the district.

Greg Turchetta says “Buying the metal detectors is the easy part. It’s the staffing that will be the challenge if it comes to the point of us doing that.”

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