Student got firearm past security at Lexington high school, photographed himself with it

A student got a handgun past the metal detector and security checkpoint at Lafayette High School this week and then later shared a photograph of himself holding the firearm in what appeared to be a classroom.

In an email Saturday afternoon, Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent Demetrus Liggins explained the situation to Lafayette staff.

Liggins said the student has been charged with unlawful possession of a weapon on school property and possession of a handgun by a minor. The student also faces disciplinary action.

“The student entered through the proper security checkpoint on Tuesday morning and passed through a metal detector,” Liggins said in the message to staff. “The student’s backpack was not adequately checked by security personnel.”

“This indicates a failure in our established safety protocols,” Liggins said in his email.

The district reported the incident to the security company the district contracts with to monitor metal detectors and check students’ bags. The employee responsible will no longer be working in Fayette County Public Schools, Liggins said.

He said in his email that schools officials became aware Thursday night of a photo of a student with a gun that was “circulating among the Lafayette community.”

He said school administrators worked with Fayette County Public Schools police and the Lexington Police Department to identify the student, and officers went to his home.

Liggins said “it was reported that the student unknowingly brought the weapon onto our campus on Tuesday morning.”

He said the Lafayette campus continues to be safe and there was no credible evidence that threats were made against the school.

Principal Anthony Orr sent families a message about the incident this week, but a copy of a message sent to the Herald-Leader did not mention that a gun was brought to school.

He told families the school was investigating “a photograph of a student holding a weapon” and said “rumors quickly began circulating” about it.

He said in his email that the student had been identified and “appropriate disciplinary processes” would be followed.

Additional officers were on campus Friday for “an added sense of security,” Orr said in his message. He said there was “no credible evidence to support a threat to school safety.”

Lexington police did not immediately comment. District spokesperson Dia Davidson-Smith did not immediately comment beyond the emails from Liggins and Orr. .

Bryan Station High School

In an apparently unrelated incident, emergency medical officials responded to Bryan Station High School Friday.

Derek Roberts, a district chief with the Lexington Fire Department, confirmed that emergency medical services staff were called to Bryan Station High School at 8:29 a.m. Friday for a report of an unconscious person who was taken to the hospital.

Roberts said he could provide no further information.

Davidson-Smith would not confirm whether an altercation between students resulted in a student injury and said she could not comment on “an ongoing investigation.”

“We take all reports out of our schools seriously and investigate fully. FCPS does not comment on medical conditions,” she said Saturday.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

This story was originally published March 9, 2024 at 2:53 PM.