A Lafollette woman reported to be suicidal is facing charges after she brought a loaded handgun to an evening class at Anderson County Career and Tech Center at Anderson County High School on Monday, authorities said.
The 36-year-old woman reportedly came to class aggravated and told the teacher of a certified nursing assistant class that “she would be better off dead,” according to an Anderson County Sheriff’s Department report.
The teacher said the woman told her she had everything in place “so she could die,” the report said. The teacher asked the woman if she had a gun in her bag, and the woman said “Yes, she had had it every night,” the report said.
A student in the class told Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Robert J. Collins that the woman said she had a gun in her bag if she needed it, and the woman had a journal stating that she wanted to die.
When Collins and another deputy arrived at the Career and Technical Center, they set up outside the classroom where they could see the teacher and the Lafollette woman. The teacher brought the woman’s handbag, which had the .22-caliber handgun inside it, outside. Collins said the silver and black gun had 10 rounds in the magazine. It was inside the woman’s bag inside a black case.
Collins and the other deputy went into the classroom and detained the woman.
“I asked the offender why she had a gun in class, and she could not answer directly,” Collins said. He said the woman was taken to a patrol car, but she refused to answer any more questions.
Collins said the teacher and student were not injured.
The woman who allegedly brought the gun to class was taken to Methodist Medical Center for an evaluation “due to the suicidal entries in her journal,” Collins said.
He said the woman will be charged with carrying a weapon on school property, a felony, and a misdemeanor charge of unlawfully carrying a weapon or going armed.
The gun was seized, and it and the case and journal were placed into evidence, Collins said.
He said the woman was issued a verbal “no trespassing” warning for the school property.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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Mark Caldwell says
The proliferation of handguns in public appears to have become problematic.
Dave Smith says
If I might add, the number of mentally ill, suicidal and sociopathic citizens who are carrying firearms appears to have become especially prolific.
Mark Caldwell says
Thank goodness they’re all law abiding citizens.
Dave Smith says
And so we’ve come to this:
http://bjq.6af.mytemp.website/2015/09/08/acsd-crime-prevention-offers-church-safety-security-seminar/
Is there any country besides the US and the various states ruled by terrorists and warlords where churches and schools have to be prepped for the greater-than-zero possibility that they will have to deal with active shooters?
Mark Caldwell says
I agree Dave. It’s a sad state of affairs when so many citizens in this country are concerned that someone has a loaded handgun in their pocket or purse while in public. I can’t even go to the city parks now without knowing that’s a possibility. What a gun-crazed society we’ve become.
Who is law-abiding and who is sane? That didn’t matter as much until we allowed so many handguns in public.
Sam Hopwood says
Speaking of guns in schools as being dangerous, today’s column by Bob Fowler in the KNS on “other dangers in schools” highlights our own school systems faults in how certain situations are “handled.” What a disgrace that this was allowed to continue for so long. OR schools have much to think about. Fowler’s column should be required reading by every administrator in the school system.