Loaded gun found after random search at high school in Bibb County

A 17-year-old male Howard High School student brought a loaded gun and bullets to school Thursday.

The student was taken to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, said Keith Simmons, chief of staff for the Bibb County school district. Simmons said he suspected that the student was charged with possession of a handgun on school grounds.

Meanwhile on Thursday, Nekale Zyquivous Oliver, 17, was charged with one count of carrying weapons within school safety zones, at school functions or on school property by police officers employed by the Bibb County Board of Education, said Bibb County sheriff’s Lt. Sean DeFoe. Oliver is free on a $2,950 bond.

But neither the Bibb County sheriff’s office nor the school district would confirm that Oliver is the Howard High student. DeFoe said the arrest is a BOE case, while Stephanie Hartley, director of communications for the school district, said the district by federal law could not identify the student.

Hartley did confirm that campus police made the arrest of the Howard student.

The student also faces a school disciplinary hearing where expulsion, or suspension, or a combination of those measures is expected to be considered, Simmons said.

The 9mm handgun and bullets were discovered during random classroom searches of both Howard high and middle schools, according to a robo call from Kevin Adams, principal at Howard Middle School, to parents. A similar robo call was sent by Howard High School Principal LaToya Smith, Hartley said.

The searches were conducted in the presence of campus police and Bibb County sheriff’s deputies. The gun was discovered about 11:30 a.m., Simmons said.

“During one of the classroom searches at Howard High School, administrators noticed one student who was acting peculiar,” according to a recording of the robo call. “That student was isolated and then engaged in conversation by administrators.

“As a result, administrators learned the student was in possession of a 9mm handgun, which he handed over to administrators willingly. The student was also in possession of bullets.”

The student’s action that raised administrators’ suspicions was that the student did not want to take his hand out of a pocket, Simmons said. The student had both the gun, loaded with a single bullet in chamber, and bullets in the pocket, Hartley said.

The searches were part of the school district’s new protocols of ensuring safety and security in schools.

“We’ll continue to conduct ... random searches at all of our schools .... and again, it’s really just an effort to try and create a level of deterrent so that students are aware of the consequences but also of given enough insight as to these are actions that the school district will not tolerate.”

Tuesday, parents received robo call from the district about the random searches and other safety measures.

The random searches include book bag searches upon entry to a school building as well as random metal detection searches using hand-held wands, according to a recording of the call.

In addition to the district’s own search dogs, Diva and Candy, which are trained to detect drugs and weapons, the school district also has hired Interquest Detection Canines for provide random and unannounced visits to district schools.

The company’s dogs are friendly, non-aggressive retrieving breeds such as spaniels and Labrador retrievers that have more advanced training.

These dogs are trained on specific scents including alcohol, prescription medication, firearms, ammunition, marijuana, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and fireworks..

The dogs search campus buildings, parking lots and grounds for prohibited items.

Earlier this month, a gun and marijuana were found at Westside High School in the backpack of a 15-year-old student. The gun was not loaded.

This story was originally published September 27, 2018 at 3:17 PM.