Student in custody after bringing gun to Gulfport High

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - A Gulfport High School student is in custody after bringing a gun to school Wednesday afternoon, according to Gulfport School District Superintendent Glen East.

East says that student is a 10th grader. The gun, which East says was a pistol, was located in the student’s backpack around 12:30 p.m.

Gulfport School District released a statement Wednesday around 1:30 p.m., saying other students were the ones to report the possibility of a gun at the school.

“On Wednesday September 13, 2023, students reported the possibility of a weapon on the Gulfport High School campus,” the statement reads. “Thanks to the report of these students, the firearm was confiscated by Gulfport High School administration. The student involved will face disciplinary action based on Gulfport School District’s policy. Nobody was harmed.”

East says other students found out about the weapon on campus through social media. He also says the gun was possibly stolen by two other students before the one in custody got it back and had it in his backpack.

While one student was arrested, two others are under investigation by police for their involvement.

East said the school never had to go into lockdown because the gun was confiscated so quickly. Parents were, however, notified of the situation by email.

The school district says this matter is still under investigation.

Recently, WLOX gathered information about weapons on South Mississippi school campuses through a public records request. According to the information we received, Gulfport School District had no students arrested for bringing guns or other weapons to campus last school year.

Across South Mississippi last school year, school districts reported 21 total incidents of students getting arrested for bringing guns or other weapons on campus.

Of those incidents, 10 happened in Moss Point School District, four happened in George County School District, three happened in Harrison County School District, and one happened each in Pascagoula-Gautier School District, Jackson County School District, Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District, Hancock County School District.

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