Crime & Safety
Berkmar HS Student Arrested on Charges of Gun Possession
Lilburn police say they do not believe the gun was ever on the campus or that the teen intended to bring the weapon to the school.
A student at Berkmar High School was arrested on campus on gun related charges. The 17 year old from Lawrenceville was charged with misdemeanor Possession of a Pistol or Revolver by a Person Under the Age of 18 and booked into the Gwinnett County Detention Center Thursday.
According to a release from Lilburn Police Capt. Thomas Bardugon, officers received a call of suspicious activity from an employee a business located right next to the high school on Pleasant Hill Road. The caller said they saw a teen hide a handgun in the bushes and then walked into the school.
Lilburn police went to the scene and found the gun in the bushes. It did not have a magazine or any ammunition.
Police checked surveillance video, and based on a description given by the employee, identified the suspect.
The teen told officers he went to the home of his cousin before going to school. While walking, he noticed his bag was heavier than usual. The teen searched the bag and found the pistol. He hid the weapon in the bushes since he knew he could not take it on the school grounds. The teen planned to pickup the gun after school and return it to his cousin. He told police he did not know where his cousin would have gotten a gun.
"As far as we can determine, the pistol was never on campus nor was it intended to be on campus," said Bardugon in a release.
According to the Gwinnett County Sheriff's office website, the teen is still being held at the detention center on $2,950 bond.
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