Alba Middle School student brings loaded gun to school

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Officials said an Alba Middle School student is being transferred to Strickland Youth Center after he brought a gun to school.

Molly Huot takes every precaution to keep her children safe even driving them to school every morning even though they live a few doors down from Alba Middle School.

"I bring the car every morning. I don't let them walk,” said Huot.

When she got the news there was a loaded gun on school grounds, she tried to rush over to help but the school was blocked off.

"I cannot say anything. I was scared. I just fall down," said Huot.

Her son and daughter were both inside.

"I was really scared,” said her daughter seventh grader Lyona Huot.

So was seventh grader Laurie Ledet.

It worries me because there’s no telling what they are going to do,” said Ledet.

Bayou La Batre detective Scott Dagg said the gun was brought to school by an eighth grader and his intentions are still not clear.

"He wouldn’t really go into detail. He just said he made a bad choice,” said Dagg.

Police said the weapon was found around 1:45 p.m. That means the eighth grader went almost the entire school day carrying a loaded gun.

"Another student had come forward and advised that he had seen the handgun in his back pack. The staff jumped right on it and recovered the firearm and other items,” said Dagg.

The gun was never fired and the student was taken to the Strickland Youth Center.

Parents like Cherri Ledet don’t want to think about what could have happened.

"They got to do something or somebody’s going to get hurt,” said Ledet.

Lawmakers in Montgomery are trying to do something.

Alabama Senator Rusty Glover said since the shooting in Connecticut school safety has been on the forefront.

A big topic: Should firearms be allowed in schools? If so, who should carry them?

"Right now without any weapons at all for the good guys, the children are very vulnerable to some major problems,” said Glover.

Members of the Alabama House and Senate sat down Wednesday for a school safety hearing.

"There is something we can do as a legislature; and hopefully, we’ll get that action this session so these kids are protected,” said Glover.

The intention is to make students feel safe at school. Whether the students at Alba do it depends on who you ask.

Senator Glover will be introducing a local bill that would allow resource officers to carry weapons.

As for state action, one of the ideas discussed Wednesday is to train a few administrators and or teachers in each school to carry weapons.

Glover said there is differing opinions on what to do but all agree something needs to be done.

As for the Alba student, the school system said he is currently suspended until the school board decides on further action.

He is charged with carrying a concealed weapon and having a pistol without a permit.