Troup student who brought gun to school didn’t go through metal detector

Published 9:00 am Thursday, November 30, 2023

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The Troup County School System said Tuesday that it’s re-evaluating its safety procedures after a student managed to bring a handgun and ammunition onto the Troup High School campus on Monday.

TCSS Public Relations Director Irisha Goodman said Tuesday that the student entered the school through a side door of the gym since he was participating in first block weight training. Using that entrance, the student, identified by the LaGrange Police Department as Ashton Williams, 17, did not have to walk through weapons detections systems, which were added to middle and high schools at the start of the school year.

Goodman said the gun and ammo were found during random backpack searches, which are normal procedure.

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“As a safeguard, we are reassessing those procedures as it relates to all students entering through the designated spots for the weapons detection systems,” Goodman said.

As a result of the incident, Williams was arrested and charged with carrying a weapon on school grounds and possession of a handgun by persons under 18.