Student safety conversation expands after Enloe High student found with two guns
An Enloe Magnet High School student was found with two guns on Thursday, just 24 hours after a shooting at a Winston-Salem high school left one student dead and another in custody.
Thursday night, Raleigh police announced they charged two 16-year-olds in connection with the case. Police obtained juvenile petitions to charge the two teens with carry conceal, possession of firearm on school grounds and possession of a firearm by a minor.
Enloe Principal Dr. Jaqueline Jordan emailed parents and activated the school's automated phone notification system to tell them, "Please know that all students are safe."
In her email, Jordan said administrators were alerted that a student had a weapon and questioned the student in the main office. That student was "found to be in possession of two firearms," she wrote.
The student was not identified, and Jordan did not speculate in her message about where the guns came from or any motive for the student to bring them to school.
In investigating the weapons, the school resource officer and other law enforcement officers found that "two students may have handled or seen the firearms," Jordan wrote.
Both were detained while a determination is made about whether either will face criminal charges.
"Bringing a weapon to school is a very serious offense," Jordan wrote. "In addition, any student who brings a firearm on campus faces a 365 day suspension, per state law."
One expert who spoke with WRAL believes schools need someone to reach students and make them comfortable enough to open up.
Security professional Patrick Fiel served as Army Military Police. He’s protected the pentagon and headed safety for D.C. schools in a 40-year career. He's seen kids deal with more anxiety, loss and fear of the unknown during the pandemic.
“We are in a sad state, unfortunately," said Fiel. "I’ve been monitoring this for many years.”
“We have been at home for a year-and-a-half. All that comes in play during COVID is how many kids lost parents or grandparents.”
Fiel says every school's security needs are different, but he feels every school in an America needs a School Resource Officer who's comfortable working with students on a personal level.
“I believe every school in the country needs a school resource officer… I know we fight that back and forth,” he said.
But it's a collaborative effort. Fiel says it will take parents, politicians, teachers and administrators working together to improve safety.
