CHARLOTTE — Parents tell Channel 9 that a football player who had been cut from the team fired a gun at Palisades High School.
Those parents told Channel 9’s Glenn Counts that the incident began with an upset athlete. They said they heard that a football player, who had been cut from the team, fired a shot at the school’s building.
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And while no one was hurt, parents said they are concerned about the lack of communication from the school district. They said they didn’t feel they had received a notice about the incident in an appropriate time frame.
“That’s the one thing I would like to see different from the school: better communication and timely communication,” said parent Stacey McClain. “I heard some rumblings in the background, but nothing was confirmed until we heard it from the actual school district. Is that disappointing? That is very disappointing as a parent and a member of this community.”
Parents also feel that enough time has elapsed to allow more information to be released to the public.
“Worry, right? Disappointment, like, why did it have to escalate? Why did it escalate to “He’s a kid; like, these are children”? said parent Angela Ables.
On Wednesday, officials with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools released a statement regarding the incident, saying:
“Greetings, Palisades High School Families. This is Principal Olejarczyk. As promised, I am providing an update to the message shared regarding the incident that occurred on our campus on Monday, August 18, 2025. A firearm was discharged into an empty office from the outside of a building on the campus of Palisades High School. No one was injured. No one witnessed or heard the shot. Once a broken window in the office was discovered, emergency protocol was activated, and law enforcement was notified. CMPD led the investigation, which resulted in a juvenile suspect being quickly identified and arrested at a location off of the campus. The firearm allegedly used in the incident was recovered and seized. Yesterday, August 19th, the PHS staff met with me, CMS Chief of Police, and the Assistant Superintendent for High School Performance Area A to discuss the incident and ensure that all understand our safety protocols.”
Counts learned that Palisades High School is one of the newer schools in the district, equipped with an extensive camera system.
However, the district said video of the incident cannot be released at this time due to being evidence in a juvenile criminal investigation and FERPA regulations that prohibit release.
VIDEO: Gunshot fired at Palisades High School, parents frustrated with CMS response
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