Teacher discovers handgun at Laurens Elementary

A loaded handgun was discovered Friday morning in a classroom at Laurens Elementary School, Laurens County School District 55 officials reported.

The weapon was discovered by a teacher who notified the School Resource Officer, an officer with the Laurens Police Department. The LPD will hold a press conference concerning the incident at 2 p.m. today (Friday).

District 55 Superintendent Ameca Thomas released the following statement Friday morning:

“Earlier today, a staff member at Laurens Elementary School discovered a loaded handgun in a classroom. The employee acted according to protocol in swiftly alerting school officials. The School Resource Officer responded immediately and additional law enforcement presence was at the school within a matter of minutes. Please be assured that your school district is working diligently to enhance safety protocols to deter this type of incident again in our school district. We appreciate the cooperation and patience of our school district community as we all work together to ensure that we provide safe teaching and learning environments in our schools.”