By Delayna Earley
The Island News
The Beaufort Police Department arrested a 16-year-old male student who brought a firearm onto Beaufort High School property in his backpack.
According to a communication from the Beaufort County School District to parents, the male is a student of Beaufort High and was detained in the parking lot with a weapon just after 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 22, 2024.
The Beaufort High School Resource Officer Michael Chutjian requested backup from Beaufort City police and the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office after he suspected that the student was possibly armed with a weapon on school property, according to a statement from the Beaufort Police Department.
Beaufort City Police spokesperson Master Sgt. Lori Reeves said that the student ran from the Officer Chutijan before he was detained in the main parking lot of the school.
A handgun was found in the student’s backpack.
Law enforcement has not commented on if the gun was loaded or if the student planned to use the weapon on school grounds.
The suspect was taken into custody and was transported to the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice.
This is an ongoing investigation and the Beaufort Police have requested that anyone who may have additional information about this incident contact Investigator Setian at 843-322-7928.
For those who wish to remain anonymous, call the Anonymous Tip Line at 843-322-2938.
The school was placed on lockdown while the police detained the suspect and conduced their on-site investigation.
The lockdown was fully lifted at the school just after 11:30 a.m., and police cleared the area.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
