Gun, brass knuckles among items found in students’ vehicles at Union County high school
A gun, a set of brass knuckles and a round of rifle ammunition were found in two student vehicles at a Union County high school’s parking lot Monday, according to the Union County Sheriff’s Office.
A K-9 unit found an unloaded .38 caliber revolver in one vehicle at Forest Hills High School in Marshville, according the sheriff’s office post on Facebook. The vehicle also held “various items,” including the brass knuckles.
“There had been no reports of the weapon being brought into the school building at any point during the school day,” the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies found a single round of rifle ammunition but no weapon in a second vehicle.
Jose Cruz, 18, was arrested for possession of the revolver on campus, the sheriff’s office said. A juvenile petition was filed against a 16-year-old who has been linked to the firearm, according to the post.
The school has also taken disciplinary actions against the students, the sheriff’s office post said.
“The investigation into the source of the firearm recovered in this case is ongoing and additional information will be shared at a later point if new charges are obtained,” the sheriff’s office said.
During the 2020-21 school year, the most recent data publicly available via the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, there were two reports of possession of a firearm at school and 31 reports of possession of a weapon in Union County Public Schools campuses.
“The weapon recovered during this search has no place on the campus of one of our local schools,” Sheriff Eddie Cathey said in the post. “We remain committed to working with UCPS administrators to keep our school campuses safe and secure learning environments.”
