HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — A student altercation involving a pocketknife at a Henry County high school on Friday resulted in an emergency medical response and a soft lockdown, officials said.
The school district said the school resource officer, emergency medical services and additional law enforcement support all responded to Woodland High School.
Henry County school officials said one student was harmed by a pocketknife. A source with knowledge of the incident told 11Alive's Dawn White the student stabbed has non-life threatening injuries.
The knife was confiscated, and the other student involved is now in the custody of law enforcement. The student is now facing pending charges, officials said.
"We cannot stress enough that weapons or dangerous objects of any kind are never allowed on our campus and any activity of this nature will result in an immediate and appropriate response," officials said. "Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to keep everyone safe and informed."
What started as a normal day at Woodland High School ended with a lot of questions for parent LaKeisha Gantt.
"No parent wants to hear their child is not safe in a school setting, and it's disappointing," Gantt said. "I'm concerned."
Gantt has two daughters in Henry County Schools.
"We talk to our kids all the time," Gantt said. "Sometimes it's scary to the point my kids can't ride the school bus."
State Senator Emanuel Jones said the Henry County Board of Education is looking at a change after a series of violent attacks in schools.
"Prior to coming here, I had an opportunity to speak with the chairlady of the Henry County School Board, and one thing that she shared with me was the school board is considering installing metal detectors in some of their schools, particularly the high schools," Jones said.
Jones represents the area and plans to bring his own idea to the school board in hopes of reducing violence.
"We need to increase the SROs [school resource officers], and I think the school system is now large enough where they can hire and employ their own police department," Jones said.
"Although this may not be my child, it still is our business," Gantt said. "It's our business because without all of us, without all the input, without all the love we show these children, and more and more fights are happening and growing, and we need to do something about that."
11Alive's Tracey Amick-Peer reported in April that parents were concerned after a series of fights at schools in Henry County.
“Four fights in four days -- it was very alarming and then they directed me to some videos that are extremely violent,” Stockbridge City Councilmember Elton Alexander said about one week in early April at Eagles Landing High School.
The district said at that time: "Inappropriate conduct of any kind is never permitted in our schools and will be met with immediate, serious consequences based on the student code of conduct.”
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