WINNSBORO – A knife and an air-soft gun were discovered inside Fairfield Middle School Wednesday morning, Jan. 21, in an incident that involved a seventh-grade student.
“As soon as we were aware of the incident, we followed district safety protocols, the items were secured, law enforcement was notified, and the student was removed from the school environment,” Superintendent Alvin Pressley told The Voice. “The school was placed on hold for about an hour until the situation was resolved, and then that hold was lifted and we resumed all operations. The air-soft gun does not contain real bullets,” he added.
A statement issued by the school district said at no time was there an active threat to students or staff.
“The matter is being addressed in coordination with law enforcement and in accordance with district policy and the Student Code of Conduct,” according to the statement.
Because the incident involves a minor, district officials said they were limited in the details they could share.
“If any parents have individual concerns, we’ll be happy to address those concerns,” Pressley said.
District officials thanked the school’s administrators and staff for their prompt response and local law enforcement partners for their support, according to the district’s press release.
“The district will continue to review this matter thoroughly and take any additional steps necessary to uphold safety across all of our schools,” Pressley said.