High-School Student Faces Charges After Shooting in Campus Gym

  • By Matt Jones
  • December 14, 2021

A student at Jones County High School in Gray, Ga., is facing charges after discharging a firearm in the school’s gym during a basketball game on Saturday, Dec. 11. Sheriff Butch Reece said that the shooting occurred at about 8 p.m. during the game between Baldwin and Jones County. The gym was evacuated, and investigators determined that a single shot was fired during a fight between supporters of the two schools.

No injuries were reported, according to local news. Officers pulled a vehicle over at about 9:15 p.m. and arrested four minors for possession of a firearm on a school’s campus, possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school zone, possession of a firearm by a minor and party to a crime.

Of the four students arrested, 17-year-old Jailan Letravis Lester has since been charged with the shooting. He faces charges of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a minor, disrupting a school event, affray, disorderly conduct and possession of a firearm on school property. Local news reports that Lester is a current student at Jones County High.

The sheriff’s office reports that Lester is being held without bond and that more arrests are expected as the investigation unfolds.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning and Campus Security and Life Safety. He can be reached at [email protected]

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