RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — Authorities say a student has been arrested and charged for allegedly bringing two guns to school on Thursday.
The Richland County Sheriff's Department said that, around 1 p.m., school security notified school resource officers at Spring Valley High School that 18-year-old John Cook attempted to carry two guns in his bookbag through metal detectors.
According to the sheriff's department, the resource officers said the guns were loaded and not stolen. The sheriff's department said deputies charged Cook with two counts of having weapons on school grounds. He will be taken to Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, officials said.
In a letter to parents, Principal Jeff Temoney said that the school's safety team and screening measures prevented the guns from entering the school. He added that no students or staff members were threatened.
"I want to reassure you that our safety protocols worked exactly as intended," he said. "This situation underscores the importance of these procedures, which are designed to protect the safety of all students, staff, and visitors."
Temoney said school officials are working closely with law enforcement and that any student found with a gun on school grounds faces "severe consequences" that include possibly being expelled at least a year.
He also urged parents to speak with students about safety and periodically check their backpacks and belongings.
"These conversations and actions play a vital role in reinforcing the message that weapons have no place in our schools," Temoney said.