For transparency and to express the seriousness of the situation, we would like to offer the following statement on events that occurred on Wednesday, October 14, 2026.
Our safety protocols and procedures were in place and worked as they were designed during the incident that occurred before school on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. School administrators and law enforcement responded to a report of a video showing a Colleton County High School student brandishing a weapon in a fieldhouse on campus, adjacent to the track and field. They located and detained the student in the parking lot before he entered the school building. The handgun was subsequently recovered from a vehicle in the student parking lot. The weapon never entered the school building, and no one was injured.
Daily entry procedures at Colleton County High School include weapons detection and inspection of personal belongings. In this instance, administrators and law enforcement intervened before the student reached the building’s screening area. Their response allowed the situation to be addressed quickly.
Once the details were confirmed, the school notified families through ClassDojo and the district’s emergency phone and text notification system. We encourage all families to connect with their child’s school through ClassDojo and ensure their contact information is current in the district’s student information system.
The district does not use social media to issue emergency notifications. Families should rely on direct school and district communications for confirmed information during an emergency.
We recognize the concern this incident has caused our students, families, and staff. Bringing a weapon onto school grounds is a serious matter. In this incident, our safety response procedures worked as intended: administrators and law enforcement intervened before the student entered the building, recovered the weapon, and resolved the situation without injury. Protecting our students and staff remains our first responsibility.