Barquita Williams was arrested on December 2 after bringing a handgun into East Nashville Magnet High School in Tennessee during a fight between two students.
According to the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD), the incident occurred after a physical fight at the school building located in the 100 block of Gallatin Avenue ensued between two girls during the school dismissal time.
The two had reportedly gotten into an altercation earlier in the day, and as class ended, they decided to fight in the school’s stairwell, inciting other students to get into it as well.
Meanwhile, parents waited outside of the school to pick their children up, and some decided to go inside and see what was going down, including Williams.
After some time, officers broke up the fight, and parents who witnessed the fight told security that Williams was brandishing a gun. Initially, Williams denied having a gun in her possession but eventually consented to be searched.
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A school resource officer later found a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic handgun on her during the body search, and she was then taken into custody.
Metro Nashville Public School (MNPS) gave News 2 a statement Friday, which read, “MNPS Security will be working with the principal to do a security assessment to determine if any changes to procedures need to be made to prevent future incidents like this from happening again.”
MNPD Lieutenant Jason Picanzo told the outlet that Williams asked her child to get the gun from her car before entering the school.
“That child proceeds to get the firearm and brings it to the mother, and at that point, patrol officers were called to assist the Student Resource Officers,” the officer stated.
“When the children are seeing adults act like we saw yesterday at East High School, how can we put the blame on students for what they’re [sic] observing their role models do?” Lt. Picanzo asked. “As cliché as it is, but they’re our future, and if this is what they’re seeing, this is how they’re going to do when they grow up.”
Williams was arrested and released after posting a $1,000 bond.
The two students who started the fight were expelled.
According to School Digger, the high school comprises 93% Black students.
Patch reported that there have also reportedly been 62 fights this school year before the incident with Williams. The cops have also been called to the school 40 times, averaging to more than one time per day, seven of them being for assault.
