Harnett Students Praised For Speaking Up About Potential Danger

Some Harnett County students have passed an important test of responsibility.

Two weeks ago, two Triton High School students heard a 14-year-old classmate brag about bringing weapons to school. Instead of not telling anyone about the information, they decided to speak up.

The students told their parents; one parent called Triton's principal, while the other notified the Harnett County Sheriff's Office.

School officials were able to confront the student.

Among the items confiscated by the sheriff's department were two knives and several bullets, but no gun. They also found a doll with needles stuck into it and a notebook with a list of student's names with the word "Revenge" written at the top.

Some credit the Student Crimestoppers program, which lets students tell about a potential danger anonymously.

Erica Willis, a student who heads the program, said it has helped boost the trust between students and teachers.

"If they hear that anything is supposed to happen, they are going to go straight to an authority figure and tell them what they think is going to happen so they can go right to the root of the problem and knock it out," Willis said.

School officials applaud the students who told their parents of the potential danger.

The 14-year-old has been suspended from school for 10 days and was recommended for a long-term suspension for the rest of the school year.