Gun seized; 3 Goose Creek students charged
Three Goose Creek High School students face criminal charges and likely expulsion after passing around a loaded pistol on school grounds Monday, Berkeley County authorities said.
A sheriff's deputy seized the .380-caliber Bersa pistol from a 16-year-old girl who had it stashed in a jacket inside her book bag. The gun's hammer was pulled back, its safety was off and it was loaded with six cartridges, including one round in the chamber, according to a police report.
The deputy detained the girl and the boy who gave her the jacket that contained the gun. The boy implicated another male student, who also was taken into custody, deputies said. The girl and the boys, ages 16 and 17, are charged as juveniles with possessing a weapon on school grounds and possessing stolen property.
The pistol had been reported stolen from a car in North Charleston on Nov. 16, police said.
The incident is the fourth involving guns in Lowcountry schools during the past six weeks. The other incidents occurred in Dorchester District 2 schools.
Pam Bailey, public relations director for the Berkeley County School District, said it's unclear why students took the gun to Goose Creek High. Two of the students are sophomores, and the third is a senior. All have been recommended for expulsion, she said.
"We don't want any of our students' safety to be jeopardized," Bailey said. "Whenever students make choices to carry a weapon on campus, then certainly we are distressed by that."
Bailey said the one bright spot was that another student alerted school officials to the possibility of a gun being on campus.
That information led them to the three suspects, whose names were withheld because of their ages.
The girl told authorities that one of the boys handed her a black jacket and told her to stow it in her book bag in a particular way. A search of the jacket revealed the gun, deputies said.
Last month in Dorchester District 2, a 14-year-old student at River Oaks Middle School took bullets to school and reportedly threatened to shoot people. On Nov. 5, an 11-year-old student at Eagle Nest Elementary took a loaded gun to school and showed it to other children in a bathroom. On Nov. 6, a search of a 17-year-old Fort Dorchester High School student in the school's parking lot revealed a loaded gun in his bookbag.
The Lowcountry is hardly alone. In one federal survey, conducted in 2005, some 19 percent of students in grades 9-12 reported carrying a weapon such as a gun, knife or club within the previous 30 days. About 6 percent reported carrying those weapons on school grounds.
Lisa Thomson Ross, an associate professor of psychology at the College of Charleston, said a number of factors may play into the recent rash of gun incidents at schools, from the availability of firearms to copycat behavior among students.
Research also suggests that children can become desensitized to violence through movies, video games and other entertainment. One study found that by the end of elementary school, the average child has watched more than 8,000 killings on television, she said.
"We have to be careful what we let our kids watch and play, and how much we let them watch and play," Ross said.
Reach Glenn Smith at 937-5556 or gsmith@postandcourier.com.
E-mail this story 
Printer-friendly version
Notice about comments:
The Post and Courier is pleased to offer readers the ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. The Post and Courier does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not postandcourier.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "suggest removal" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our Web site.
Full terms and conditions can be read here.
Comments
This article has 27 comment(s)
Posted by poorboy on November 28, 2007 at 5:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Unbelievable - loaded, one in the chamber, cocked and ready it appeared. This could have been disasterous!
Posted by MDW on November 28, 2007 at 6:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"The gun's hammer was pulled back, its safety was off and it was loaded with six cartridges, including one round in the chamber, according to a police report."
This weapon could have went off at the slightest touch.
These are types of people that make gun owners look bad.
First punishment should be a LIFETIME ban of ever owning firearms. After that I hope it all goes downhill. Expulsion isn't good enough.
Posted by MDW on November 28, 2007 at 7:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh yeah...
I can't wait to read the comments from people that "know this family" or "know these children." We're sure to hear "they weren't raised like this" or "we don't know the situation."
Save it. These kids were wrong and they know it. Luckily, they got caught.
Posted by Hey_U_Guys on November 28, 2007 at 7:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Supposedly this gun was stolen from a car on the 16th? I wonder if these kids knew the person they stole the gun from. I think that had to have known there was a gun in that particular car. I doubt they broke into the vehicle and happened to "find" a gun. Well, that is, if these were even the kids that stole it in the first place.
I just can't believe that kids are taking guns and bullets to school. I wonder what goes through their minds... I hope the parents let these kids sit in the detention center, or wherever they are.
Wanna read something interesting? Check this out: http://www.statehousereport.com/columns/...
Posted by Hey_U_Guys on November 28, 2007 at 7:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
MDW: I agree with you 100% on both posts.
Posted by ImplantedYankee on November 28, 2007 at 7:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It definitely made me angry to watch the boneheaded, botched Stratford raid, but seeing stories like this can make one see why the cops involved were armed as they were (though this does not really excuse their actions once inside).
Posted by crankyyankee on November 28, 2007 at 8:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I love public education!
Posted by mac0cm4 on November 28, 2007 at 8:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Since someone who doesn't know any better already referred to the Stratford incident... GCHS is NOT in Goose Creek jurisdiction. Berkeley County Sheriff's Office covers that area.
Posted by ImplantedYankee on November 28, 2007 at 8:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am well aware of the differences. Given the number of incidents, even just recently, at many different schools in many different jurisdictions, such distinctions are irrelevant.
Posted by reality_woman on November 28, 2007 at 9:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Here again we have kids doing things that we would have never thought to do as we were growing up. I hate to say it, but it's the parents fault most of the time. They are just not involved with their kids like they should be. They expect shcools to take care of them during the day and well in the evening they don't want to be bothered by the kids and they get into these horrific things like gangs, drugs guns and who knows what else. God help these kids.
Posted by faelady on November 28, 2007 at 9:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
OMG - my daughter goes to GCHS and this is the first I am hearing of this - 2 DAYS after it happened? And my daughter wonders why I MAKE her carry her cell phone at all times?
What in the heck is happening with kids these days - who in the HECK would even think that taking a LOADED gun to school is a good idea?! Granted, I may not know EVERYTHING my child does, but don't these parents bother to see who their kids are hanging out with these days?
This is so sad and incredibly scary! I wonder when we're going to get metal detectors in all our schools, obviously the kids don't care about bringing weapons to school.
Posted by crankyyankee on November 28, 2007 at 10:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thank god it wasn't one of the basketball players. We can't afford to lose any of them with the season starting!
Posted by gfreed1948 on November 28, 2007 at 11:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is what happens when you have a society that says "anything goes" and raises children with no sense of healthy shame.
Posted by madd_dog2020 on November 28, 2007 at 12:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I am in agreement with all of you, parents have to get involve in their kids lives. Their is nor such thing as giving them their space, especially if they still reside in my home; no lock doors here.
Posted by misfit on November 28, 2007 at 12:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
As the Charleston area becomes more of a "me first" society, this is the kind of behavior we can expect. You can see it on the roads and in the aisles at Walmart. Me first, you wait. A self-centered society raises self-centered kids.
Don't get me started on TV shows and commercials.
Posted by eyfigueroa on November 28, 2007 at 12:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
what a way for a berkeley county school to get publicity! wasn't there a similar incident at fort Dorchester recently?
Posted by ISSIE53 on November 28, 2007 at 1:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well this is pretty bad, but what do you expect. We are not allowed to punish our children. If we spank them then we go to jail. I think that a spanking would not help these kids now should have been done in the early years, but if the government would let the parents and school system impose the rules that were there in the past you would not see all this going on. I know that I knew better in the 60's to carry a gun to school or better yet not to say yes mam no mam. But take heed people these are the children that will be running your government in the future. if they carry guns now just think
Posted by Girleygirl on November 28, 2007 at 1:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Eyfigueroa- Yes ma'am and its getting out of control. QUICK AND FAST!
Posted by sjmehlhose on November 28, 2007 at 3:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ISSIE53:
It is still legal to spank your kids, even though the liberals try to spread bad misinformation on the subject. To my knowledge, the state of Massachusetts is considering a law to outlaw spanking, but it hasn't become law yet.
The board of education on the seat of learning is very effective, and if you apply it early, they won't grow up to be thugs like these kids.
Posted by keepitreal60 on November 28, 2007 at 4:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
issies you got that RIGHT
Posted by Southern1 on November 28, 2007 at 4:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I just have to say these kids are not very bright. Not only were they dim whitted in thinking that taking a gun to school was a good idea but the fact that it was loaded, safety off, hammer back, and one in the chamber. And to top it all off, stuffed in a bookbag with god knows what else inside. That is the most stupid thing I've ever heard. These kids have know common sense. Anyone with half a brain would know that this was an accident waiting to happen.
This is why parents should educate their children about guns and gun safety. Also, I think that these parents (or teachers for that matter) are not keeping their children informed about local news. If these children knew how many students are getting caught with guns in school lately, I bet they would think twice about bringing one themselves.
Posted by SomeTruthPlease on November 28, 2007 at 5:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'd be very interested to know why the 17 year old was charged as a juvenile...
Posted by SomeTruthPlease on November 28, 2007 at 5:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh, and mac0cm..I don't see that ImplantedYankee was making ANY reference whatsoever to either school in regard to jurisdiction...if you feel the need to make others feel "less than", come appropriately armed. If you don't have anything productive to say, or simply feel the need to assert that you more than likely have Asperger's and have neglected to begin treatment, don't post on the board.
Posted by 29461 on November 28, 2007 at 6:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I went to Berkeley High in the 60's and would come in late from duck hunting and carry me shotgun by the office and leave it with Jim Bradley until after school. Boy things have changed!
Posted by samhill89 on November 28, 2007 at 11:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
im sorry but im a student at goose creek. i am extremely furious with the way the school handled this. it happend monday and i didnt find out until today, from my mother. we just had a system put in for emergency use and weve had a test call for that. i couldve been walking to class and could have been shot. the least the school couldve done was send out a letter to the parents explaining what went on and not ignore it and wait for the parents or students to find out through the news.
Posted by irishkatb1 on November 28, 2007 at 11:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I am a parent of a GCHS student and I was there Monday, Tuesday and today and I only learned of this incident today as well.
It is a shame that I have had to teach my children what they need to do in order to survive a gun attack in school, or how to avoid being sexually assaulted at school or elsewhere, or how to avoid some of the ignorance that they have to endure in the public school system. I got my child a cell phone and she has had to call me several times because of incidents at school, and I am grateful she could contact me.
If parents want better children, be a PARENT! My spouse and I both I work two jobs, yet we make sure one of us can pick up our kids and know where they are at all times.
I pray that we do not have to endure the heartache that would come from an armed encounter at GCHS. It is a good school and there are many good kids there.
Posted by MCgurl on November 29, 2007 at 12:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What is going on in Goose Creek lately?! I know, it's everywhere, but if you look at myspace, it seems that the kids in the Creek are more interested in starting fights than being friends. When Chris Teseniar died, we looked on myspace to find if there was some kind of tribute or such, and only found groups of kids talking smack bout other kids from other neighborhoods, inciting fights, then planning, meeting, and carrying out these fights. Our society thinks today that fists, knives and guns solve problems. Look at Chris - wrongfully accused of theft, and guess what? Can't fix it now and say sorry - he is gone! (BUT NOT FORGOTTEN!)