Security Heightened at Thomasville Game After Gun Incident

• Extra patrols were in place for the big rivalry game between Thomasville and Thomas County Central.

• The increased security follows an incident in which a student brought a handgun to school, requiring precautionary measures.
• City and county school districts work with law enforcement to ensure security at school events and on campuses.

BROADCAST SCRIPT

It’s game night at Veterans Memorial Stadium, but heightened security measures have been put in place following Thursday’s incident at MacIntyre Park High School. My name is Layan Abu Tarboush, and I’m looking to see how these extra precautions will shape tonight’s big game.

Football is on most players’ minds at tonight’s game between Thomasville and Thomas County Central. For others, it’s safety. The Thomasville Police Department is increasing patrols at Veterans Memorial Stadium. There are no active threats, but it’s out of an abundance of caution.

“If you have to have more people, you have to have safety measures in place,” said Demetria Williams, a former MacIntyre Park student who will be attending the game.

The move follows the intervention of a 14-year-old student who brought a gun onto the campus of MacIntyre Park Secondary School on Thursday.

The district released a statement saying: “While there is no current threat, these additional patrols are a direct response to Thursday’s incident.”

As a mother of three, Demetria Williams emphasized, “When you send them to school, we want to know they’re in a safe environment.”

The school district has increased security on all campuses and at campus events in response to community concerns. Among the security measures implemented are special badges that allow teachers and staff to call for immediate help anywhere on campus with the push of a button. This technology was also used during a shooting in Winder to alert law enforcement.

The school also has school resource officers on each campus, including two stationed at Thomas County Central High School.

The Thomasville Police Department said it is still investigating why the student had a gun on campus.