Gun found in unattended bag on Ga. school property, parent taken into custody, district says

CATOOSA COUNTY, Ga. — A parent was taken into custody at an afterschool event after officers found a gun in an unattended handbag.

According to Catoosa County Public Schools Superintendent Chance Nix, a firearm was found outside the school inside an unattended handbag on Tuesday night at Ringgold Primary School.

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A student resource officer took possession of the handbag after it was found and recovered an ID inside the bag.

Nix said the bag belonged to a parent who had a permit to carry; however, Georgia schools are weapons-free zones, and no firearms are allowed on campus.

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The SRO secured the weapon, and Nix added that the owner was taken into custody for possessing a firearm on a school campus.

The Catoosa Sheriff’s Department determined that this incident was not a threat targeting the school or any individual in the school.

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“Our highest priority is the safety of our students and staff,” Nix wrote to families. “I want to thank RPS administration, the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Department and the SRO for their expertise and professionalism.”

The identity of the parent has not been released.

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