Deputies find stolen handgun in student's backpack at East Rowan HS

ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — Deputies in Rowan County arrested a student they said brought a stolen handgun to East Rowan High School on Wednesday.

According to authorities, staff from Nazareth Children’s Home called the sheriff’s office around noon, concerned one of their students might be in possession of a gun at the high school.

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Deputies immediately began an investigation and learned there were three students that needed to be questioned at East Rowan High. Officials told Channel 9 they found a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun in the backpack of Donald Maness.

Maness was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm on educational property and booked into the Rowan County Detention Center under a $5,000 secured bond.

Deputies were also able to determine that the gun was stolen from a pickup truck in Rockwell, North Carolina, earlier this week.

The investigation is still ongoing.

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