Northport Intermediate School Says Student Brought Electroshock Weapon To Campus

NORTHPORT, AL — Northport Intermediate School Principal Michael Tilford is asking parents to be vigilant after a student this week was reported to have brought a type of electroshock weapon to the school campus.

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In a message to parents on Friday, Tilford said earlier in the day he received information that students had seen what appeared to be a Taser in the possession of a student.

"The student who was reported to have had the item was immediately secured and found not to be in possession of any weapon or item that is not allowed on campus," he said. "Because we were able to locate the student and make this determination immediately, we did not go into a lockdown."

What's more, Tilford went on to say that, after gathering information and speaking with students, school officials determined that the student did have an electroshock weapon on campus Thursday.

A police presence by the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office was seen at the school Friday and it is unclear to what extent the electroshock weapon was known among students.

"We were able to identify the exact location of the item today, and it was not on our campus," Tilford said. "We also determined that several students saw the item yesterday, but did not report this to any faculty or staff member or law enforcement. The type of item that was brought to school does not look like a firearm and can be bought on sites like Amazon, but any item like this is prohibited on our campus."

Tilford went on to stress to parents the importance of speaking with their students about reporting any school or student safety concern to a faculty or staff member immediately.

"This is one of the most important ways we keep our students and school safe, and it is crucially important that students understand this," Tilford said. "You can also report information anonymously through our Speak Up for Safety anonymous reporting system. If you learn of a safety concern after school hours, using the Speak Up for Safety system is great tool to use."

Tilford added that local law enforcement can also be contacted about school safety concerns.

"Parents and guardians, if you learn of a school safety concern, please use one of these ways immediately to bring the information to our attention," he said. "Please understand that we are limited in the details we can share regarding an individual student. However, any student who brings a prohibited item on campus will face consequences."

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