GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Two young adults staying in a tent near an elementary school face felony charges after Gwinnett County police say officers found a pink handgun inside.
Police arrested Miranda Bryant, 18, and Ranard Washington, 20, at the tent near Centerville Elementary School on Sept. 25. Warrants say an officer had told both to leave on Sept. 17.
Neighbor Tracy Corley-Smith told Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson she has noticed more people sleeping on benches nearby lately.
“It’s getting out here in this area, and it’s sad to see,” she said. “It’s about the healthcare. It’s about the high prices of apartments and homes now.”
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The warrants place the tent on school grounds behind a cut fence. Both are charged with carrying a weapon in a school safety zone, and police say the gun’s serial number plate was missing.
The warrants also list marijuana and tequila. Washington is accused of cutting the fence.
Centerville Elementary’s principal told families in a letter Monday that the tent was behind the Kroger next door. Bonita Banks wrote that there were no reports either person came onto campus and that the fence is being repaired.
The Rev. Antony Robinson’s church spent roughly five years giving back in the area.
“I’m assuming they’re trying to stay out of reach, out of the public eye, but I can see how it is a concern for our kids,” Robinson said “We just need a whole system that’s willing to do the real work and not just put people behind bars.”
Bryant faces five charges, two of them felonies, and Washington faces eight, including three felonies. Both were booked into the Gwinnett County Jail.