Student at Chester, SC high school pointed gun at others, had 3 weapons, warrants state
.jpg "An intimidating look at a .45 caliber handgun.")
A South Carolina teen has been charged with pointing a gun at two people at a Chester County high school, according to law enforcement and court records. The arrest came a week after after deputies found three guns in the teen’s vehicle while he was a student, officials said.
Gus Jennings Thomas, 18, was charged Wednesday with two counts of pointing and presenting a firearm at two juveniles at Chester High School on Feb. 2, according to Chester County Sheriff’s Office arrest warrants obtained by The Herald.
Christ Christoff, spokesman for the Chester County School District, confirmed that Thomas was a student at the time of the Feb. 2 incident. Christoff said school officials received an anonymous tip Feb. 2 about possible weapons on campus, then had law enforcement investigate.
Christoff said the district cannot disclose any possible disciplinary action against any student.
The charges Wednesday followed the arrest of Thomas Feb. 2, said Grant Suskin, spokesman for the sheriff’s office. Deputies continued to investigate and served the pointing and presenting warrants Wednesday, Suskin said.
Thomas was arrested Feb. 2 on a charge of carrying weapons on school property, records show. Three guns including an A-15 rifle, a Browning rifle, and a 9 millimeter handgun were found in Thomas’ vehicle in the student parking lot, according to a sheriff’s office incident report and an arrest warrant. All three guns were loaded, deputies said in the incident report.
After the Feb. 2 arrest, Thomas was released on a personal recognizance bond, records show.
The pointing and presenting charges are felonies that carry up to five years for a conviction under South Carolina law.
Thomas was denied bail after a court hearing Wednesday afternoon in Chester County magistrate court on the new charges and remains in the county jail, sheriff and court records show.
