A Cocke County High School student was taken into custody and is suspected of bringing a fake gun in his backpack Thursday afternoon.
Cocke County Sheriff Armando Fontes said he was at a career fair at the CCHS gym when he got word from his sergeant that a student had a gun in his backpack and had been showing it off.
Sheriff Fontes said he mirandized the suspected student and took statements from witnesses, discovering the gun was a CO2 pellet gun. Fontes said the student told him he was "just joking around," though other students claim they were told the gun was real.
The incident came to light after students notified the CCHS assistant principal about the seemingly real gun. According to the investigation, the suspect was in class when he discretely showed the pellet gun off to other students from inside his backpack during a moment of free time while the teacher was busy grading at her computer.
The suspect claimed he brought the weapon to protect himself from all the "crazy school shootings going on." The students said they all refrained from saying anything to the teacher at the moment, but immediately told the assistant principal after class.
The young suspect was criminally charged with disorderly conduct and taken to Cocke County Juvenile Court where he was ordered to stay away from school property.
In a statement to officers, the child claimed he had not been bullied and had no intention of harming anyone, stating the incident was all 'a joke.' Sheriff Fontes said he did not notice any concerning activity on the student's social media accounts, nor were any outward threats ever made.
Sheriff Fontes said his office is working with the school system to properly address all reports and keep students safe, noting that faculty and staff at CCHS took the appropriate steps to address the incident Thursday.
On Friday, Cocke County High School principal Gail Burchett and the sheriff addressed students and emphasized the importance of reporting any suspicious activity, as well as giving them advice on how to react to an active shooter situation. The CCSO also emphasized to students the importance of being good leaders and empathetic to others to put a stop to bullying, saying bullying can lead to tragic situations down the road.
