After gun found at school, Forsyth County parent calls for metal detectors

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Days after a loaded gun turned up at a Forsyth County middle school, a parent has launched a petition, calling on the Forsyth County school system to install metal detectors on all campuses.

Sasha Gibson, who says she has a daughter who will attend Little Mill Middle School next school year, is calling for “enhanced security measures across all schools.”

Last week, a 14-year-old student was arrested at Little Mill Middle for having a loaded 9-millimeter pistol.

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Officials found the gun in the student’s waistband.

Another student was also arrested for recording a video of the teen with the gun and posting it on social media.

Gibson could not be reached for an interview Monday, but she posted her petition – which by Monday afternoon had garnered nearly 180 signatures on change.org.

“This terrifying incident has left me and many other parents in our community deeply concerned for the safety of our children,” she wrote. “I know of many parents who have kids too scared to go back to school. Our schools should be safe havens for learning and growth, not places where our children and teachers are at risk of violence.”

Along with metal detectors, she’s calling for regular active shooter drills and requiring students to wear clear backpacks.

“How many of our kids or grandchildren have to be injured, or worse, killed before we get the proper response from the district?” she wrote. “We cannot wait until another incident happens before we take action.”

Officials with Forsyth County Schools declined to comment.

A spokesperson sent Channel 2 Action News a message that Superintendent Jeff Bearden sent Friday to all families in the district.

“I am writing to reaffirm to you that the safety of our staff is our number one priority in Forsyth County Schools,” Bearden wrote. “We have strong partnerships with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and the Cumming Police Department, and School Resource Officers (SROs) in our 42 schools. Our Board of Education has funded additional school counselors and student support positions, invested in security improvements, and provided safety training for employees.”

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Billy Moore has a daughter who attended Little Mill and is now in high school.

He thinks metal detectors at the county’s schools would be an overreaction.

“Do I think we need metal detectors in the school system? I really don’t think so. I think that brings additional fear to the rest of the students,” he told Channel 2′s Bryan Mims.

He praises the work of the county’s school resource officers.

“They’re very close to every student,” he said. “No student should feel that they’re scared to talk to the resource officer at any time.”

District officials say campuses have security cameras, a resource officer assigned to every campus, and regular active shooter drills.

“I think Forsyth County has done a great job in de-escalating the situation from last week,” Moore said. “This is an isolated incident, fortunately. I don’t think it’s something that we’ve had happen in Forsyth County in a long time.”

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