‘Something’s gotta stop’: Police investigate after weapons found at central Virginia schools

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - A student was found with a knife at a high school in the city of Richmond on Thursday.

The school division says a student at Thomas Jefferson High School had the knife, and a school resource officer was able to take it away.

There’s currently no information on the age of the student who brought the knife to school.

This comes after a string of incidents at central Virginia schools.

On Wednesday afternoon, a student was found with a gun at L.C. Bird High School in Chesterfield.

On Tuesday, a student was stabbed by another student at Brookland Middle School in Henrico.

“It’s just a horrible thing because I mean, I personally have spoke[n] to multiple children, and they’re scared to go to school,” Shelley Mears said.

She said since her son graduated in 2020, things have gotten worse.

“If it has to come down to metal detecting in schools. I mean, something’s gotta stop,” Mears said.

Officers warn parents there could be signs to look out for.

“If you, as a parent, are paying for a cell phone, there is no reason why you can’t go through your child’s cellphone if you have a concern yourself,” Sgt. Nikki Otero said.

Otero is the head of school resource officers in Chesterfield County.

“I think parents should check their rooms, their book bags, I mean whatever they need to check to make sure that their students don’t have weapons, drugs,” Otero said.

Chesterfield County Public Schools also released a statement about the incident saying in part, “We take incidents of this nature very seriously. Please continue to remind students that weapons are not allowed on school property or in vehicles on school property.”

Earlier Thursday, a Richmond Public Schools spokesperson said that “extensive security measures are in place to help us maintain student and campus safety.”

“We encourage parents to speak to their children about the importance of school safety,” the school division said.

One student was charged in the school stabbing in Henrico. There is no word of any charges from the other two incidents.

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