Lee High gun incident

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Lee High sure has been a mess lately. I've heard of a couple of kids coming to school drunk not long ago, a student cut another with a box cutter just a couple days ago , and this recent gun incident.

 

Lee High student arrested after bringing gun to school

Friday, May 13, 2005

 

By WALTER LITTRELL

Times-News

 

JONESVILLE - A Lee High School student who allegedly brought a gun to school earlier this week is being held in the Lee County Jail on multiple charges in lieu of a $7,500 bond, while his alleged accomplice in a residential burglary is free under a $5,000 bond.

 

Both students may face additional charges related to the alleged construction of an explosive device, said Sheriff Gary Parsons.

 

Lee High principal Rod Griffith said Thursday he was unaware of the explosive device allegation but promised to investigate the entire situation. The principal said he will take whatever steps are necessary to keep his school, students, staff and faculty safe - even if it requires putting the students in an alternative educational setting.

 

"Some of this is news to me, but I will look into it," he said. "It goes without saying that we make every effort we can to keep our school and students safe. Just like yesterday. A kid came in with a concern, and we investigated it right away. This time, unfortunately, it turned into something."

 

Griffith said the situation began to unfold Wednesday when a student came to him with a concern that another student, Billy Price, 18, of Dryden, had brought a handgun to school the day before. The principal said he contacted School Resource Officer Richard Crabtree, and the two brought Price to the office for questioning. During the talk, they searched the student's book bag and found a number of digital video discs, compact discs and a player.

 

Crabtree then contacted an investigator at the sheriff's office about the items found in the book bag and learned they were similar to items that had been reported stolen, so Price was taken to the investigator's office for further questioning.

 

Parsons said further searching of Price revealed a number of older coins known to be taken in a residential burglary, and eventually Price is alleged to have confessed to committing the burglary with another student, Darrell Bryson, 18, also of Dryden. Price also admitted to burglarizing a flea market in Dryden, the sheriff said.

 

The sheriff said when officers went to the Bryson home, they located numerous stolen items including DVDs, a player, guns and jewelry.

 

Additionally, he said, officers discovered that someone was in the process of building an explosive device using cardboard tubing, black powder and BBs. An explosives unit from the Virginia State Police was called in to remove the device.

 

Parsons said he anticipates that Bryson will be charged by the VSP with building an explosive device and that Price may be charged as well.

 

Since Price allegedly admitted to bringing a .25-caliber automatic weapon to school the day before, Parsons said he was charged with bringing a firearm to school.

 

Both were also charged with breaking and entering, grand larceny and two counts of conspiracy in the residential burglary. Information on the arrest warrants indicates that another teen and a juvenile may have been involved in that burglary.

 

Griffith noted that the alleged bomb incident was not related to anything at school, but said if his investigation leads him to believe it is necessary, Bryson will not be coming back to the school.

 

"That's something the sheriff's department discovered on its own that I know nothing about right now. I'll have to check on it, and if that be the case, I anticipate that he'll probably have a change in instructional setting," said Griffith, who added in regard to Price: "He's not in school, and he won't be back until this matter is settled. He will have a change of educational placement when he gets out of jail."

 

Griffith, who had spent the day Thursday at the central office training for a new position, said he will continue to investigate and monitor the situation and take action as appropriate.

 

Price and Bryson are scheduled for arraignment Monday at 9 a.m. in Lee County General District Court.