Wake County DA answers questions about parental accountability amid rise in school threats

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Eyewitness News is getting answers after a string of incidents this week at Triangle schools.

"Something has got to happen, something has to happen," said Jade Bryant, mother of a elementary school student in Raleigh.

Mother Thao Phan agreed with Bryant.

"Even when they call a code red, there's an intruder in the school," she said. "They might not have a gun but I still get terrified at what could happen."

These moms are all too aware of the realities of sending even their elementary school students to class every day.

"We've seen a proliferation of weapons and access by our minors and people bring them to school grounds," said Lorrin Freeman, district attorney of Wake County. "Those of us who deal with this danger of kids bringing firearms onto school grounds, we're looking for something that allows us to make it loud and clear to the public that if you're going to be a gun owner, you need to guard that gun and store it in a safe way."

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The statute on the books now is called the "storage of firearms to protect minors." It charges parents if their child is found in possession with their firearm outside the home. It is the same law used to charged the father of the suspect in the Heddingham mass shooting.

But Freeman said it's not always easy to prove if the gun came from a parent or elsewhere.

"It's time for our state and others to really look at how do we put teeth into these laws to try and prevent minors from getting access to firearms," Freeman said.

She said a number of states have gone so far as to make it a felony for parents if the gun brought to campus results in serious injury.

Freeman said since she's charged multiple juveniles for murder in the last year, this should be an all-hands on deck situation to figure out a solution.