18-year-old arrested after bringing gun to campus on Tuesday

Published 8:00 am Friday, September 24, 2021

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An 18-year-old was arrested Tuesday for having a firearm in a school zone.

This incident is not connected with an incident that occured with another 18-year-old at the Troup County School Career Center Tuesday.

Reginald Demetrius Allen, of LaGrange, was attempting to sell a pistol on the campus of the West Georgia Technical College, according to a campus officer’s narrative.

Allen was charged with the possession of a firearm within 1000 feet of a school as well as disruption of a public school, according to the Troup County arrest reports from Wednesday.

Further investigation revealed that the firearm Allen was attempting to sell was declared as “lost” from its previous owner, who reported it missing several weeks prior.

The suspect also had in his possession schoolwork and lab supplies from a cosmetology student who attends class at the campus, the narrative said. Further investigation will be conducted to see if the suspect was lawfully in possession of those supplies.

According to the narrative, on Sept. 20, two white males alerted campus security that they were approached in the parking lot by a tall slender younger black male who wanted to know if they were interested in buying a pistol. The two men gave campus police a description of the suspect and advised the pistol was in his backpack.

An officer eventually located Allen outside of the campus’ main student center.

Allen told the officer he was heading to welding class, which was being held on the east campus, before changing his answer to automotive.

The officer then asked Allen to return with him inside the building, to which Allen complied after a brief conversation. The officer led Allen into his office and, while a campus staff member spoke with him, Pitts searched his backpack. Allen was asked several times if there was anything in his backpack and each time Allen mumbled an unintelligible answer. The staff member at that point began searching the contents of the backpack and notified the officer that he had found a firearm. The officer subsequently placed Allen in handcuffs.

The staff member then notified Troup County 911 to have LaGrange Police en-route as well as the principal of the Career Center.

Allen was suspended indefinitely from the campus pending a school tribunal, per the report.