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Local students say 'no' to gun violence at schools

Index-Jounral
October 24, 2003
By SHAVONNE POTTS and MISTY EBEL

Brewer Middle students B.J. Lipscomb, left, and Asia Delaney sign a pledge Thursday to never bring a gun to school.
Students at Greenwood and Lakelands schools made a pledge Thursday to end gun violence in schools.
The pledge was part of the eighth annual Day of National Concern and Student Pledge Against Gun Violence.
U.S. Attorney Strom Thurmond Jr.’s office coordinated with local law enforcement agencies to bring the pledge to interested schools.
“ We’re fortunate in that it is very, very unusual that we have an occurrence of a firearm in a school,” Greenwood Police Chief Gerald Brooks said. “But even one time is too many.”
Brooks said the department has dealt with firearms at schools several times over the past several years, averaging out to less than one incident per year.
Middle and high school students pledged never to take a gun to school, never to resolve a dispute with a gun and to encourage their friends not to solve personal problems with guns.
Elementary students pledged not to touch a gun if they see it and to assume any gun they see is loaded.
Ninety Six School Resource Officer (SRO) Sherry Paulus wanted to allow enough time for students to ask questions so she is distributing the pledge over the course of a few days. Some ninth-graders signed the pledge Thursday, others will sign today and all middle school students will sign the pledge next week.
“ I feel they (the ninth-graders) are my best option. They’ll pass it on and they’ll be there for three more years to help pass it on,” Paulus said.
She said the students showed a lot of interest in the statistics.
By the end of her session, they were giving Paulus information.
“ They do want to help,” Paulus said.
As a SRO for Emerald High School, Noel Husbands appeared on the school’s broadcast to inform students about the pledge and its importance.
“ The students have been pretty receptive and they are quite upbeat about it,” the Greenwood Police Department master patrolman said.
Although they’ve never had a problem with weapons in the school, Husbands said the students are willing to give information to him if there is a weapon in the school.
Husbands said he would be available during lunch to answer students’ questions and to let students sign the pledge.
Ware Shoals Police Department SRO Sgt. Sherrie Free started early Thursday morning reading the pledge and getting students to sign it.
“ We’ve had a lot of good response. It’s actually helping,” she said.
Free said she’s had students come up to her to say they’ve seen weapons in the school.
“ I go into the classrooms to talk to the students about the severity of bringing guns to school,” she said.
Also participating in the pledge program were the Greenwood Sheriff’s Department, the McCormick Police Department, Brewer Middle, East End Elementary, Mathews Elementary, Merrywood Elementary, Northside Middle, Oakland Elementary, Pinecrest Elementary, Springfield Elementary, Westview Middle, Woodfields Elementary, John de la Howe School in McCormick, Long Cane Academy in McCormick, McCormick High, McCormick Middle, Ninety Six Middle, Ware Shoals Elementary, Ware Shoals High and Ware Shoals Primary.