Handgun found at Sparkman High School, student in custody

HARVEST – A Sparkman High School student is in custody after allegedly bringing a gun to school Wednesday morning.

Sparkman principal Chris Shaw posted an alert to parents informing them of the incident. “It was discovered that a student brought an unloaded handgun to Sparkman High School. The administration and school resource officer were notified and acted quickly to secure the weapon without incident,” Shaw said.

Shaw also said the student was taken into custody by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. “The Sheriff’s Office is now handling the investigation,” he said. “The student will be disciplined according to the Madison County Board of Education Policy and will not be back on campus. There’s nothing more important to us than the safety of our students.”

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the arrest. Authorities said school resource officers at Sparkman received an anonymous tip from a student that another student at the school was in possession of a handgun. “The school administrators and school resource officer’s acted quickly and did locate an unloaded handgun in a backpack belonging to a 16-year-old student.”

The student was arrested and charged with carrying a concealed weapon and transported to the Neaves Davis Center for Children.

The Sheriff’s Office said that due to the juvenile’s age, no further information will be provided at this time.