LENOIR, N.C. — Extra security measures will be in place at Hibriten High School Wednesday after police said two juveniles were accused of bringing BB guns to a chorus concert at a local church.
Police were called to the concert Tuesday evening after two students noticed the young men carrying what looked like handguns.
After a thorough search, police found the suspected weapons were actually BB pistols made to look like real guns.
Thankfully, no one was hurt.
The district said neither of the suspects were Hibriten students. Juvenile charges are pending for the teens involved, according to the Lenoir Police Department.
The school says it will operate in “Secure Status” Wednesday, and additional law enforcement will be present on campus. This means all outside doors will stay locked, and anyone coming on to campus will be closely monitored.
Hibriten High School leaders reinforced that these measures are being taken as a precaution. There have been no threats on campus.
Channel 9’s Dave Faherty spoke with several parents who said they appreciate the extra security.
“Those BB guns looked just like pistols, like guns, to the untrained eye,” Tia Corpening Felder, a Hibriten High mom, said. “To me or my kids that don’t usually have guns like that, they think it is a gun, so they were all scared.”
This incident comes just days after a deadly shooting at a Hibriten High School homecoming party in Lenoir. Michael “Mikey” Cowling, 20, was killed Saturday at the gathering on Grandin Road.
A 16-year-old is in custody and charged as an adult in his murder.
[ READ MORE >> Teen charged after man shot, killed at homecoming party ]
Caldwell County Schools acknowledged the timing and commended the students who spoke up Tuesday night.
“Two Hibriten students had the courage to speak up, our local law enforcement responded quickly, and Hibriten chorus students went on stage and sang,” the district wrote in a social media post Tuesday. “That’s our Hibriten.”
The school says they will make school counselors available to talk with any students who may be feeling uneasy.