VALDOSTA – On Thursday, February 23 at S.L. Mason Elementary School, an 11 year old male juvenile was arrested for Possession of a Firearm on School Property. A teacher discovered the juvenile had a firearm with ammunition in his possession.

Once the school faculty found the firearm, they immediately notified the school resource officer (SRO), a Valdosta police officer, who took possession of the firearm. The student was removed from school and the Department of Juvenile Justice was notified with a Juvenile Criminal Complaint filed against the child.

“My review of the incident reflects that the system worked in this case. A faculty member of school did their job, discovered the student had a firearm, and immediately turned the case over to law enforcement. This is the perfect example why our school system elected to have a Valdosta Police Officer in every school”, stated Chief Brian Childress.

Superintendent of Valdosta City Schools, Dr. Todd Cason, echoed Chief Childress by saying, “the safety of our staff and students has and will always be the top priority in Valdosta City Schools. I am very proud of the quick response of our VCS faculty and am grateful for the support of the SRO at S.L. Mason, as well as the Valdosta Police Department.”

Release from Valdosta City Schools