NC Student Busted With AK47, 30-Round Magazine And Drugs On Bus To School

A high school student in Pasquotank County, North Carolina, was arrested this week after he was found to be in the possession of a firearm and drugs while riding a bus to school, local police said.

School resource officers affiliated with the Pasquotank County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) initially discovered that the unnamed Northeastern High School student had a jar filled with "green matter" — believed to be marijuana — during a search Wednesday morning, WTKR News 3 reported.

The search, which occurred as the bus was stopped at River Road Middle School, was conducted after the bus driver noticed an odor of marijuana coming from a student on the bus and reported it to the school's administrators, according to the outlet.

In addition to the jar with "green matter," authorities found an AK-47 pistol with a 30-round magazine in the student’s bag after further investigation, a report by WAVY-TV 10 said. Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy Wooten was cited by local newspaper The Daily Advance as describing the weapon as a "short carbine-type rifle with a fully loaded magazine."

All the items were seized from the student, and the teen was immediately taken into custody.

The student has since been charged with felony possession of a firearm on school grounds, misdemeanors possession of a firearm on school grounds and possession of marijuana, carrying a concealed firearm, possession of a weapon of mass destruction, possession of a stolen firearm and possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana, according to Wooten.

The teen was also charged with carrying a concealed weapon because there was a knife involved as well.

The investigation is still ongoing, and the sheriff noted that the student could face more charges.

Both River Road Middle School and Northeastern High School were put under temporary lockdowns following the incident, with the former's lockdown being lifted around two hours after the discovery, while the latter was cleared after four hours.

"We did a search of the entire school: every classroom, every building," Wooten was quoted as saying.

No further threats were reportedly found.

The sheriff said the swift actions of the bus driver as well as others involved prevented what "could have been a terrible nightmare." He also urged the community to come together to stand against gun violence and drugs, which he claimed were "poisoning our youth."