Students arrested after gun incidents at 2 Durham schools

School resource officers at Durham Public Schools made arrests in two separate incidents Thursday involving guns on campuses.

The incidents happened at Lowe's Grove Middle School and Hillside High School. There were no reported injuries.

Arrest made at Lowe's Grove Middle School

At 2 p.m. Thursday, the Lowe's Grove Middle School resource officer received a tip about a possible armed robbery of a student on the school's campus.

The officer found the 14-year-old suspect, another student, possessing a handgun with an extended magazine and the victim's belongings.

Authorities have obtained a juvenile petition against the suspect, whose name was not provided.

Arrest made at Hillside High School

School resource officers at Hillside High School acted on a tip about a student who intended to bring a gun onto campus.

The SROs searched the vehicle of 18-year-old Zadi Woodson and found a handgun inside.

Woodson was charged with possessing a stolen firearm, possessing a firearm on educational property and carrying a concealed firearm. He posted a $5,000 secured bond and was released.

It's not the first incident this school year involving Hillside High School.

On Feb. 8, there was a deadly shooting involving two of the school's students. It left Anthony Feaster, 17, dead and injured a 15-year-old boy.

Police have not made any arrests or identified any possible suspects in the Feb. 8 shooting on Riddle Road and Fayetteville Street.

"In both instances, we applaud those people who alerted us about these dangerous situations," said Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead in a news release. "Our schools are a place for learning, exploration and growth.

Birkhead also says they should never be a place of violence.

"It takes everyone - students, parents, teachers, and our SROs - to work together to create a safe environment for our young people to thrive," said Birkhead. "In order to do so I encourage parents/guardians to talk with their children about firearms and remind them, when you see something, say something."

Superintendent Pascal Mubenga echoed Birkhead's statement.

"I'm grateful to our students and community members who have taken advantage of our anonymous reporting systems to help keep our campuses safe," Mubenga said. "I also deeply appreciate our partnerships with law enforcement who are protecting our students and staff."

Mubenga also says their responsiveness and collaboration with school leaders are helping to build safe school communities."

School Board Chair Bettina Umstead confirms that both of Thursday's arrests came from information in DPS' text-to-tip line.

"It really is something that I think is a useful tool in safety and security in schools," said Umstead.

As a mother, Dr. Kaaren Haldeman, a DPS parent and gun violence prevention activist, says these incidents are tragic and infuriating.

"The guns that wind up in the hands of children are first passed through the hands of adults," said Haldeman.

She also expresses that using the tip line is a cultural shift.

"Kids at school want their school to be safe. They want to protect one another. they are tired of seeing people in their community shot," said Haldeman.

Umstead says these incidents are a call to the community.

"How do we get kids engaged in other enriching activities, and having a weapon is not something they are thinking about," said Umstead.