Gwinnett County student arrested after bringing loaded semi-automatic weapon to school, police said

ATLANTA, Georgia (Atlanta News First) – A Gwinnett County student was arrested Friday morning for bringing a loaded semi-automatic weapon to school, authorities said.

According to Gwinnett County Public Schools Police Chief Tony Lockard, the unidentified Duluth Middle School student showed the 9mm handgun to other students on the bus. The other children told police what happened, which led to the student's arrest.

Police said charges will be brought against the student in juvenile court. The school administration has not commented on the charges.

The arrest came 10 days after a fatal shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County. Two students and two teachers were killed while nine others were hospitalized, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Colt Gray, a 14-year-old student at the school, was arrested and charged with four counts of murder. His father, 54-year-old Colin Gray, was also charged with four counts of manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight counts of child abuse. Investigators believe he gave his son access to the assault rifle used in the shooting.

In the days following the shooting, dozens of threats were made against schools across the state. Lockard said 16 people were arrested in Gwinnett County alone for threatening violence at school. One of those arrests, police said, came late Thursday night when a student threatened a high school in the county on social media.

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Bernard Watson, spokesman for Gwinnett County Public Schools, said officials have investigated nearly 400 reports of threats at schools since the shooting. He added that Gwinnett County schools do not currently have metal detectors, but authorities are considering installing them.

Watson urged parents to check their children's bags, monitor their social media activity and lock away any weapons.

“We want to continue to ensure that our schools are safe learning environments for everyone,” he said.

This is a developing story. Check back with Atlanta News First for updates.

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