A student at River Ridge High School in Cherokee County was taken into custody Friday morning after being found with a handgun on campus, according to school officials.
What We Know: Principal Todd Miller informed families that the Cherokee County School District Police Department took the student into custody “without incident” after discovering the handgun. In his May 2 message to parents, Miller described the violation as “serious” and indicated the student would face consequences from both the school and law enforcement.
What We Don’t Know: Officials have not released information about how the gun was discovered, whether it was loaded, or the identity and age of the student involved. The message also doesn’t indicate if the student made any threats or what specific charges they might face.
In Context: This incident comes amid ongoing concerns about school safety across Georgia and nationwide. Schools throughout Cherokee County use the Vector Alert system, which allows students, parents, staff and community members to report safety concerns anonymously through text, email, phone call or online message.
Take Action: Parents with concerns can access the Vector Alert reporting system through the Cherokee County School District website at cherokeek12.net/emergency-notification. School officials encourage anyone with information about potential safety threats to report them immediately.
Despite the serious nature of the incident, Principal Miller noted that school operations continued without disruption, though some parents reported on social media that students were checking themselves out of school due to safety concerns.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
