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$20,500 bond for student who allegedly brought gun to Newberry High School

Officers say a semi automatic pistol then fell onto the floor.

Newberry, SC (WLTX) - A student is in custody after bringing a gun to Newberry High School in his school bag, putting the campus on lockdown Tuesday afternoon.

Anthony Quavadre Blakely, 18, was arrested by Newberry County deputies Tuesday on Interstate 26 near the Chapin exit. He was charged with possession of a firearm or a weapon on school grounds and disorderly conduct, and his bond was set at $20,500.

Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster says he couldn't be charged with disturbing schools because he was a student.

Officers say at 10:51 a.m. Tuesday, Blakely was in class and opened his bookbag. Officers say a gun magazine then fell onto the floor.

The teacher saw what happened and alerted his students and approached the student. The student's gun then fell out of the backpack. According to law enforcement, the teacher attempted to take control, but the student picked up the weapon and ran out of the class.

At this point, Foster says they don't know why the student had a weapon.

"I'm not sure if his intentions were to use it or not, but it did come out, and it did hit the floor," Foster said.

School Administration utilized the Active Shooter Alert during this incident and law enforcement and first responders went to school to complete the lock down. Police say video evidence shows that the student immediately left the classroom and went across the street and retrieved his car from the Burger King parking lot.

Foster said Blakley tried to drive to Columbia to see a relative, who ultimately worked out with law enforcement an arrangement where he'd surrender.

While this turned out to not be an active shooter situation, Foster said an alert system that the county put in place that installs on teachers' phones worked to perfection. But the greatest resources were the people that came together in a tense situation.

"The law enforcement offivrtd and first responders going straight into that building not knowing if there were bullets flying," Foster said. "That's what you have to do in today's world."

He also praised the teachers and staff who handled the situation in a professional matter, and even the other students who didn't panic.

No one was injured and no shots were fired. All students in the school were verified as being safe, but the school remained on alert mode for the rest of the school day. Other schools in Newberry County were also on alert mode out of pre caution.

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