BASSETT, VA – A 16-year-old Henry County high school student is behind bars for bringing a loaded gun to school.
Monday around 11:30 a.m., Bassett High School faculty was made aware that a student had a firearm inside the school.
The school staff notified the school resource officer, who immediately located and detained the suspected student and found a loaded 9mm pistol in his backpack, according to the Henry County Sheriff's Office.
Authorities said they discovered that the suspected student had shown the gun to a classmate and the classmate told an adult about the situation.
“Parents should talk with their children and encourage them to immediately report any safety concerns to the school resource officer, school staff or even call 9-1-1 if necessary. We cannot stress enough, if you see something, say something,” Captain Wayne Davis of the Henry County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a press release.
The Collinsville male was charged with felony possession of a firearm on school property, possession of a concealed weapon and possession of a firearm under the age of 18.
He was taken to W.W. Moore Juvenile Detention Facility in Danville.
If you have information about this incident, you are asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 276-638-8751 or the Crimestoppers Program at 276-632-7463.