WCHS campus secure, safe; no gun found

A rumor of a gun being in the possession of a student at Wayne County High School proved to be false Thursday morning.

According to Superintendent of Education Tommy Branch, a call was made to 9-1-1 that indicated a student was in possession of a gun on the WCHS campus. Branch said a student received a text about the issue, and that student contacted someone off campus who was not a student of the school.

The person off campus made the call to 9-1-1 and allegedly impersonated an adult that was the on-campus student's mother. Campus police responded to the situation, as did the Waynesboro Police Department and the Wayne County Sheriff's Office.

"Everyone was on scene quickly and secured the campus," Branch said. "Policemen, our Police Department and the Sheriff's Department searched the entire campus and no gun was found."

Branch praised the efforts of the WCSD Police, WPD and WCSO, saying that everyone responded quickly and professionally to secure the campus and make sure there was no danger. He said no students nor staff were in danger and local law enforcement was interviewing the student who sent the text along with speaking to the person who made the call to 9-1-1 to further clarify the situation.

Even so, a number of parents arrived and checked their children out of school for the day.