Sumter teen arrested for bringing gun, loaded magazine to Lakewood High School

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One Lakewood High School student is in custody while a few others are being praised for their courageous actions in reporting a schoolmate who brought a handgun and loaded magazine to the school on Wednesday.

The 15-year-old, who is being detained by the state Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia, was arrested after the handgun and ammunition were found in his backpack during a search, according to Sumter County Sheriff's Office.

According to an incident report, the 15-year-old had reportedly showed the firearm, a black SCCY CPX 9mm handgun, to other students before he was called into an administrator's office where he and his backpack were searched. The loaded magazine was not inside the semi-automatic handgun, according to the sheriff's office.

Officials said the teen told other students he brought the weapon to school because he feared being bullied. The other students told school officials about their schoolmate's actions, and law enforcement was called.

The 15-year-old is charged with weapons violation, bringing a gun to school.

That same student was charged in 2016 when he and two other Hillcrest Middle School students sent threatening emails to Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis and then-Sumter School District Superintendent Frank Baker and also threatened to “shoot up Hillcrest Middle School," where he was a student.

No one was injured.

The student, who was 13 at the time, and his two schoolmates were each charged with two counts of threatening the life of a public official and disturbing schools.

Sheriff Dennis lauded the students who reported the incident to school officials for recognizing the danger their schoolmate posed.

This was a dangerous situation that could have ended badly had the students not reported it, he said.

“I want the public to know that we will do everything within our power to see that the student who was taken into custody does not get a third opportunity to endanger our schools," Dennis said. "The safety of every person involved is my top priority.”