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Sheriff Addresses Rumors, Unfounded Report Of Student With A Gun On Tate High Campus
March 3, 2022
[NorthEscambia.com Exclusive] — Wednesday morning, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office received an unfounded report of a student with a gun on the Tate High School campus. No gun was found, but social media was full of conflicting rumors.
“It triggers a response from law enforcement and the school district,” Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said. “If it has merit, our response will be immediate and overwhelming.”
The unfounded report was ultimately found to be related to the suspension of a student for a violation of the school district’s weapons policies in mid-February and his return to campus Wednesday morning.
NorthEscambia.com has learned that a rifle was found about two weeks ago inside the student’s truck while it was parked on campus. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said it was determined in consultation with the State Attorney’s Office that no law was broken.
The school then suspended the student for violating their rules. The student missed a meeting Tuesday to discuss the suspension, and he had a letter in hand that stated that he could return to campus Wednesday, ECSO said.
NorthEscambia.com obtained a copy of that letter from one of the student’s parents. The letter is posted above, with identifying information redacted by us.
“It has become necessary that we place [student] back into your supervision during the school hours for ten days, beginning February 15, 2022 and ending March 1, 2022,” the letter from a Tate High dean stated. “Unless you are otherwise advised, this student must not return to school until March 2, 2022.”
ECSO said they were asked Wednesday to remove the student for trespassing, but they were unable to do so because he was never trespassed warned before Wednesday. The Sheriff’s Office stated that the student never made any threat involving a weapon.
Meanwhile, social media told a very different story. Students, parents and others claiming to be in the know posted a variety of rumors, unsubstantiated claims and sometimes altered or old unconfirmed screenshots showing alleged threats. And the rumors grew and changed rapidly.
“Oftentimes, a small piece of information balloons into something that is incognizable from the original,” Simmons said. “Once the rumor starts, they can spread these things and they put their own interpretations on those posts or those photos. Quite frankly, they made those things up.”
The sheriff said his deputies work quickly in a situation like that on Wednesday to see what actually has transpired and how any threat originated.
“It is really counterproductive to the safety and the security of our schools,” said Cody Strother, spokesperson for the Escambia County School District. “The safety and safety and security of our staff and students are so important, and we are grateful for our staff, law enforcement partners and our families for their assistance.”
During Wednesday’s lockdown, parents gathered outside the locked gates at Tate High School to checkout their children as the rumors continued to swirl online. Additional rumors or violence or threats began to circulate after an ambulance arrived on campus. But the ambulance was responding to a seemingly minor medical problem suffered by an adult that was unrelated to the lockdown incident.
“As a parent I understand people want to make sure their children are safe,” Simmons said.
“When we are in certain level security scenarios, students are much safer on campus in the place where they are,” Strother stated.
NorthEsambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
14 Responses to “Sheriff Addresses Rumors, Unfounded Report Of Student With A Gun On Tate High Campus”
@Kane: It seems that the whole point flew over your head, so let me see if I can explain it to you. The point is WHY do “our kids like to shoot one another these days rather than at deer”. What went so wrong in the past few decades to so drastically change our culture. Of course there was violence in the ’70s and “80s. The world has always been a violent place, but this particular brand of violence is relatively new. Instead of just accepting this as the way it is now, how about we as a society try to fix the problem. The only way to do that is to figure out when and where we got off course and go back and correct our mistakes.
It’s a DOUBLE STANDARD!!! My kid was EXPELLED FOR !@ MONTHS for having a POCKET KNIFE locked in his car in TATE HS parking lot. We were told that the School District has a NO TOLERANCE WEAPONS POLICY! My son was a Junior, an honor student and he used the knife to break down boxes at his restaurant job that he went to after school. TOTAL CRAP!!! DOUBLE STANDARD!!
You couldn’t pay me to send my child to the freak show the US calls public school, now. The brainwashing and grooming done there is criminal. If you can’t afford private school, then homeschool. The curriculum comes equipped with online teachers and can be done when you aren’t working. Additionally, the time needed to complete studies is a fraction of the time needed at the cumbersome pace of overcrowded public school classrooms.
@kane …. instead of trying to mock the people who believe in carrying a weapon, how about place blame on lousy parents who let tvs and the government raise their kids. That’s one of the big differences I can see between now and the past, is crappy parents, and society, who refuse to take responsibility, expect teacher and the government to raise their kids, and Karens… lots and lots of Karens.
@T The 70’s weren’t violent??!?? Man, you must’ve been on some good drugs XD
@All you “Gun rack in past” folks well this is 2021 our kids like to shoot one another these days rather than at deer so no they don’t need them anymore also criminals have figured out that guns left unsecured in vehicles are great opportunities. Stop lamenting the past and pay attention to Now.
AC & T….EXACTLY!!!!!! GREAT POINTS BY BOTH OF YOU!
I too remember the ’70s and ’80s when people regularly brought their hunting rifles to school. There was never any threat of a mass shooting at school. Such a thing was virtually unheard of. But I also remember morning devotion and prayer over the intercom. Then they expelled God from the schools and the school shootings began shortly thereafter. Wonder if there is any correlation? It is almost as if God was protecting the school as long as He was there and when they kicked Him out they also negated His protections.
Back in the 70’s kids brought rifles and shotguns to school on racks in the back of their pickup trucks, they would go hunting after school, no one got shot at school. The only difference between now and then is violent music, violent video games, violent Television, no personal accountability and bad parenting.
The school districts hide any and all threats to schools PERIOD! The school districts literally tie the hands of law enforcement. Case in point three weeks ago, a North Santa Rosa School, threat made and students overheard. There is a past history of killing small animals and regular access to firearms. The only people punished are the teachers who now have to walk this student to every high school class and lunchroom every single day. THIS WAS AGAINST THE WISHES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT!
It’s a shame it has to be that way but this isn’t the 70s. The details have not been shared so we can’t judge the school administration’s decisions. I’m glad it didn’t physically escalate. It’s awful that any parents or students blew it out of proportion with rumors and hype.
Hell, Half the trucks at Tate High School had a rifle or shotgun in it back in “82”. Glad the kid got suspended instead of expulsion. Tate went overboard afterwards trying to get a trespassing violation. Come on Dean Blackmon, you’re better than that.
So who will hold anyone accountable for the lies (bullying) on social media ?
The student is suspended for his actions get the rest now.
And just think, back in the 70’s and at least into 1980 rifles and shotguns in rifle racks in trucks in the parking lot was nothing! Dang near every guy carried a Buck knife as well.
It wasn’t so many years ago that was commonplace to see many pickup trucks with shotguns and rifles visible in the back window parked in Tate HS’s parking lot.