Police say student, 12, brought gun to school

Sep. 12—HIGH POINT — A 12-year-old boy who is a student at the charter school Phoenix Academy faces juvenile petition charges after police say he brought a gun to school in a book bag.

The gun wasn’t fired and no one was injured.

The student brought a loaded handgun onto school property on Mendenhall Parkway in north High Point this past Wednesday, according to a police incident report. A police spokesman told The High Point Enterprise on Monday that the student showed the gun to a couple of students by opening the book bag.

The student took the gun from his grandmother in Davidson County, who had it properly stored in a locked box, but the student knew where the key was, police said. The grandmother reported the gun stolen.

The gun was returned to its owner, the High Point police spokesman said.

The school reported it to police on Thursday morning.

The charges to be filed on juvenile petitions are possession of a firearm on educational property, carrying a concealed gun and possession of a handgun by a minor. The police spokesman said no High Point officers saw the gun on campus. The charges are based on the three witnesses’ descriptions.

Phoenix Academy spokesman Cory Olsen told The Enterprise that people on campus reacted properly during the incident.

“We actively promote a ‘hear something, see something, say something’ philosophy at our school, and this helps us remain vigilant in ensuring the safety and well-being of our school community,” Olsen said.

A Guilford County Schools spokeswoman told The Enterprise that Phoenix Academy, as a charter school, isn’t under the purview of the 124 schools in the GCS system.

pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul