Student arrested after loaded guns were found inside his book bag in Henry County

HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — An 18-year-old is facing criminal charges after police say he brought two guns to school.

One of those guns went off but no one was hurt.

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Police say 18-year-old Jordan Dawson dropped the backpack on the gym floor, causing the gun to fire.

They applaud the quick response of school resource officers in tracking down the student and arresting him.

When the gun fired, Tanya’s daughter was in the very same room — the gym.

Tanya requested that we not show her face or publish her last name.

“It was scary, because I got phone calls from both of my students before the school notified by text, email or phone,” she told Channel 2′s Bryan Mims.

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Her daughter declined to do an interview but told me she knows the student who’s charged with bringing the guns on campus.

School officials say the 18-year-old had two guns in his backpack.

When he dropped the backpack on the gym floor, one of the guns fired.

“Once the weapon did discharge, the student tried to exit the premises, which made it even more easily identifiable about who was responsible for this,” Henry County Schools spokesman J.D. Hardin said.

Hardin says that after the gun went off; administrators put the school on a hard lockdown.

The student faces five criminal charges, including carrying a weapon within a school safety zone, disrupting a public school and reckless conduct.

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Tanya pulled both her students out of class early on Wednesday, and now she doesn’t think they’re safe at this school.

“Honestly, no. I didn’t feel safe with them last year. There were so many fights at this school,” she said.

“The safety and security of our students is paramount to an exceptional learning environment for our students,” Hardin said.

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