UNION CO., N.C. — Two students face charges in Union County after deputies say a gun and brass knuckles were discovered inside their separate vehicles during a K-9 search on Monday.
Deputies arrested 18-year-old Jose Cruz for possession of a revolver on school campus and have also filed a juvenile petition on a second 16-year-old linked to the possession of the firearm.
Union County Sheriff’s Office deputies conducted the K-9 search on Forest Hills High School parking lot as part of a continued effort to keep campus safe.
During the search, police say a K-9 demonstrated a positive alert on two separate student vehicles.
As a result, a search of the student vehicles was conducted and deputies recovered a .38 caliber revolver from one of the vehicles involved.
Police say the firearm was not loaded when deputies found it and there have been no reports of the weapon being brought into school at any point during the school day.
Deputies also located a set of brass knuckles and other items inside this student’s vehicle.
Police say a search of the second suspect vehicle yielded the recovery of a single round of rifle ammunition.
No weapon was located in the second vehicle, according to a news release.
In addition to the charges brought against Cruz and the 16-year-old, Union County school administrators have imposed disciplinary actions for all students linked to both suspect vehicles.
The investigation into the source of the firearm recovered is ongoing.
Sheriff Eddie Cathey adds “The weapon recovered during this search has no place on the campus of one of our local schools. We remain committed to working with UCPS administrators to keep our school campuses safe and secure learning environments. I am proud of the professional investigation conducted in this case and I am thankful that our K-9 teams were in the right place at the right time to identify a potential threat and address it immediately”.
