LEXINGTON, Ky. — A loaded gun lead to an 11th grader at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School facing criminal charges after he was accused of bringing the gun to school Friday morning.

What You Need To Know

  •  A 17-year-old student was arrested after allegedly bringing a loaded gun to Dunbar High School

  •  The student faces three felony charges, a misdemeanor charge and disciplinary action at school

  •  Metal detectors as part of the Fayette County Public Schools safety investment plan detected the gun in a backpack

  • No one was hurt and there appeared to be no intent by the student to take action

Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent Demetrus Liggins said no one was hurt in the incident, and the school day continued as normal after the student was taken into custody. Just before 8 a.m. Friday, metal detectors alerted security personnel that the gun was in the student’s backpack and loaded.

The 17-year-old junior was arrested by the Fayette County Public School Police Department and is facing three felonies included unlawful use of a firearm at school. Liggins said a greater tragedy could have been avoided Friday thanks to the district’s security measures.

“We ask our families to please speak to your children. Please talk to them about if they see something, say something,” Liggins said.

Metal detectors are required at all FCPS middle and high schools as part of their 10-point security investment plan drafted in 2018. Liggins said this incident is affirmation that it’s been successful.

“We’re pleased to say that our system worked, we’re pleased to say the protocols we have in place prevented anything further from happening,” Liggins said.

Friday’s incident is the fourth where a gun was found in or near an FCPS school and took places less than 24 hours after a public meeting where FCPS staff and community partners began reevaluating the school safety plan.

FCPS Police Chief Martin Schafer said after investigating, this student did not appear ready to take any action with the gun. He said he is unsure as to why students possess firearms as each circumstance is different.

“I don’t want to speculate as to why,” Schafer said. “As we’ve discussed in the first portion last night of the district safety advisory council, there are community problems that we continue to address and we work with community partners.”

D.J. Pressley has three kids in FCPS, she said while metal detectors worked Friday morning, it isn’t always the case.

“Metal detectors are a false sense of security in my opinion because there are tons of weapons and things that won’t show up on a metal detector,” Pressley said.

She said in the district’s new security plan she hopes to see more investment in tackling the issues that would stop a student from feeling the need to possess a gun in the first place.

“A lot of the kids that have had weapons at school, they’ve been bullied and they didn’t feel safe and they weren’t intending to hurt anybody, they were just trying to protect themselves,” Pressley said.

Pressley said social media has fueled the bullying problem and students need more spaces outside of a school building to feel safe and heard.

“They could push for more community involvement, more programs for kids where they have a place to go that they feel safe,” Pressley said.

FCPS Police will not be releasing anymore details about the student as he is underage. The student also faces disciplinary actions from the district in addition to the criminal charges.

Spectrum News 1 reported Thursday that FCPS has begun to reevaluate its safety investment plan and modernize it for 2023. More information on the safety investment plan can be found on the district’s website.

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