Student with Airsoft gun prompts lockdown at T. Benton Gayle Middle School in Fredericksburg
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. - A brief lockdown at a middle school in Fredericksburg, Virginia has been lifted after an Airsoft gun was found in the locker of a student thought to have been armed with a weapon, school officials say.
The incident was reported around noon on Thursday at T. Benton Gayle Middle School. A student notified school officials after they saw another student with what appeared to be a handgun in a backpack. Officials used surveillance video to identify the student. When a locker was searched, officials say an Airsoft gun was found inside of a backpack. The student was removed from calss and charges are expected to be filed.
During the lockdown students were moved out of the hallways and into secure rooms. No one was allowed to exit or enter the school during the lockdown. Officials say the lockdown was a precautionary measure. No injuries were reported.
T. Benton Gayle was the subject of threatening messages posted on social media over the weekend. The post, which reportedly contained a picture of a handgun with a threatening message, is being investigated by both Spotsylvania and Stafford County deputies.