Guns and Gangs Surface End of Year at NLR Schools

Senior arrested for gun in car at Post-Prom

By Marcus Howard
Staff Writer
The North Little Rock Times

Three students were arrested within about 16 hours for weapon possession on North Little Rock School District property, including one who reportedly had a gun in his car at North Little Rock High School’s Post-Prom party.

According to a police report, an officer who was working off-duty at the party, which was held last Friday night at the Fisher Armory, was alerted by Principal Gregg Thompson at about 1:45 a.m. Saturday that a student at the event smelled like “burnt marijuana.”

The student, a 17-year-old senior, reportedly told Thompson that his friends had been smoking marijuana in his car. He also told the principal he had a .25 caliber gun in his car, the report states, and a unloaded Bergmann pistol was found in the front seat console where the student said it would be.

The student reportedly told police that he found the gun on March 1 and had never shot it; he also reportedly admitted to having smoked marijuana. He was arrested for being in possession of the gun and handed a 10-day suspension from school.

Assistant Superintendent for Desegregation Bobby Acklin – who also makes recommendations for suspensions and expulsions to the School Board – said the student may also be expelled. Should the board vote to expel the senior, he won’t be able to return to school for a full calendar year, Acklin said.

That the arrest was made at Post-Prom, an all-night event that is supported by parent as a safe alternative for students, he added, makes it doubly unfortunate.

“Across the country at prom time, we lose kids…doing things out on the street,” Acklin said. “[The party] has just been a real clean, safe environment. Once you’re in, you’re in. You can’t go in and out.”

“That’s the gist behind the Post-Prom party, to keep kids safe.”

Acklin said the event is “usually problem-free” and the arrested student “wasn’t causing any problems in there.”

The previous morning, two 13-year-old boys at Ridgeroad Middle School were arrested after one allegedly threatened to stab the other with a knife he had in his locker. The first boy reportedly made the threat in retaliation to a threat that was made earlier by the other boy, who said the allegedly armed student had disrespected his gang by using the word “donut,” a police report stated but did not explain. A pocket knife was found in the boy’s locker and was confiscated.

Both boys were arrested and charged with terroristic threatening, and were given 10-day suspensions from school. They boy who reportedly had the knife in his locker was also charged with carrying a weapon, and may be expelled. Both boys are scheduled to appear before the Pulaski County Juvenile Court on June 13.

Asked whether gangs were a problem in North Little Rock schools, Acklin said the “run of kids joining gangs” that was at its most recent peak about 10 years ago seems to be returning.

“We do see the resemblance of gang activity in the schools and the neighborhoods, as well,” he said, adding that “now it’s getting popular again.”

Since “we’re hot having it,” Acklin said, those students who are involved in gangs are causing more problems for themselves than for the schools as a whole.