HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Parents in Huntersville were nervous as they dropped their children off for school at Hopewell High Thursday, one day after two guns were found on school grounds.
Huntersville police and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools confirmed that two weapons were found after a fight broke out around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. Five students were taken into custody following the incident. The students have not been identified due to their age. The students, three 17-year-olds, a 16-year-old and a 15-year-old, were each charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds.
Huntersville police said the guns that were found were a loaded Phoenix Arms .22 pistol and a Glock 34 9mm pistol, which was reported stolen. Investigators said the fight was retaliation against the suspects for an attempted robbery at the school. Huntersville police have not yet identified a victim in the robbery.
In addition to Wednesday's incident, Hopewell High has been linked to the deadly drive-by shooting of 3-year-old Asiah Figueroa. The young boy was killed in early September when multiple suspects fired dozens of shots into a home on Richard Rozzelle Drive. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police believed some of the suspects could be students at the school.
"It makes me feel nervous, yeah I'm scared for her," one father told WCNC Charlotte. "Something needs to be done."
The man said he believes it's time for CMS to put metal detectors in schools for everyone's safety.
Police were called after a fight broke out in the halls was caught on video and posted on social media. The video showed a gun laying on the floor after it had apparently fallen from one of the kids seen fighting.
"I don't like that they found two guns on campus but I'm glad police got the job done," another parent said after dropping off his child for class.
Another parent, who asked to not be identified, said she believes the problems start at home.
"It's on the parents," she said. "They need to be more involved."
Huntersville police officers did a sweep of the school and say they found a weapon but it wasn't the gun seen in the video. That gun was found after a student reported seeing a weapon on the bus.
The two guns at Hopewell brings the total number of guns found at CMS schools to 15 this school year.
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