Seven charged with trespassing after West Johnston High School security incident

Sheriff Steve Bizzell said the five boys and two girls were in an online conversation with a student at the school and came to pick the student up. When the student didn't come outside, the teens went into the school.

Bizzell said officers arrived at the school and immediately took four of the teens into custody. Three others ran, but they were caught.

All seven, who were from the Raleigh area and range in age from 14 to 16 years old, were charged with second-degree trespassing.

No weapons were involved in the incident, Bizzell said, and no students, staff or officers were injured.

"The good Lord smiled on us today," Bizzell said. "No injuries, and everyone is fine.”

"I will say law enforcement, school administrators, the principal herself, did a fantastic job. Our training kicked in," he said.

School officials said the seven teens did not make it past the front office.

"Today was a wake-up call," Bizzell said. "Meaning, our training went into full force. Everybody worked great. It could have been a bad situation, but everybody went home safe."

Such situations make authorities step back and think about what can be done better, he said.

"The superintendent of our schools will forward to commissioners this week word missing?? asking for some money to secure our schools, another level of security. And one of those is making sure all doors are locked," he said. "We all work together for the safety and security of our schools."

A student told WRAL News that someone came on the PA system to tell teachers to hold students in classrooms.

Parents and neighbors gathered on the road leading into the school as authorities blocked the entrance. Parents at the scene said they heard about the lockdown through text messages from their children who attend the school.

As students filed out of the school around 12:15 p.m., parents could be seen running toward the school to look for their kids.

School continued for the day, but parents had the option to pick up their children.

Bizzell said there is no reason to believe the security incident had anything to do with gangs, drugs or human trafficking.