A Cartersville High School student faces several charges after police linked two pistols and ammunition found in the high school bathroom to him. The city school system and Cartersville Police Department released information about the Wednesday, Jan. 15, incident Thursday when the investigation was completed.
The school never initiated a lockdown because “no threat was present and the items were retrieved within minutes,” according to a CHS press release.
The name of the male student isn’t being released. He is charged as a juvenile with reckless conduct, carrying a weapon in the school safety zone, entering auto, and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The Department of Juvenile Justice has him in custody.
While media is reporting the student is suspected of an early-morning shooting at the Ivy Glen Apartments at 61 Ridge Row Dr., the CHS press release said the incident began with a car-break involving a stolen gun around 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 15. It didn’t refer to shots fired.
CPD reports state that police officers were responding to shots fired at the apartment complex. Reports state a BMW was damaged with several bullet holes, and discharged shell casings were found near the vehicle. Police told reporters they believe a CHS student fired the shots and then went to school, which prompted a search of the high school.
The guns and ammunition were discovered in an upstairs bathroom. The student hasn’t been charged in the Ivy Glen shooting, but two charges – the entering auto and gun possession while committing felony charges – stem from the apartment incident. It also isn’t clear how police identified the student and connected him to the guns found in the bathroom. We’ll keep you updated.