On Thursday, September 5, the Habersham County school board dealt publicly for the first time with safety concerns raised on August 15 when a former student was found at Raider Stadium with a loaded handgun.
The discussion was part of the school police chief’s presentation to the board in the wake of the deadly school shooting in Winder.
Concerns of parents
In a statement made before the BOE, Director of Safety/Chief of Police Murray Kogod said, “To alleviate any lingering concerns, I want to follow up on the football stadium incident involving a juvenile with a gun that took place on August 15, 2024.”
Kogod stated that the juvenile was not a student of the Habersham County School System. The handgun was loaded at the time it was secured. “The SRO (School Resource Officer) took control of the juvenile, separated the juvenile from the rest of those at the event, secured the weapon, and secured the juvenile without incident,” Kogod indicated.
RELATED: Unanswered questions remain about juvenile carrying gun in Raider Stadium
There was a public request for information regarding the incident, and Kogod said that as of September 5, no one had contacted the police department with additional information.
Juvenile being monitored
“There are no facts to reveal through eyewitness accounts or the investigation that the juvenile had the intent to harm anyone in particular or anyone in general,” Kogod added. “There is also no evidence to indicate that there were any other juveniles or adults involved.”
However, the juvenile in question was charged, detained, transported to the RYDC (Regional Youth Detention Center) and is now under the custody and control of the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Kogod confirmed that the juvenile is being monitored.
RELATED: Juvenile brings a loaded handgun to Raider Stadium
School safety centered
School safety continued to be the topic of presentations made by Stephanie Walker, Director of Transportation for Habersham County Schools to principals from Cornelia Elementary (Carrie Trotter), North Habersham (Dr. Renee Crandall), and Habersham Central High School (Dr. Adam Bagwell).
The BOE concluded its meeting with Executive Session.
