A Mississippi teenager will spend four years in prison for bringing a firearm onto a high school campus and threatening to shoot up the educational facility.
Rankin County District Attorney Bubba Bramlett announced that Chance DePaul Smith, 19, a former Brandon High School student, pled guilty to retaliation against a public servant and possession of a deadly weapon on education property, both relating to his threats against an educator on September 9, 2022.
Smith threatened to shoot up the school after a teacher told him to stop yelling in the classroom. Smith was also found in possession of a firearm on campus.
Circuit Court Judge Dewey Arthur sentenced Smith to serve ten years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with the final six years suspended.
“We hope this serious situation is a wake-up call for students and juveniles that if you choose to commit a crime, you can still be processed as an adult, in adult court, with adult sentences,” Bramlett said. “We are thankful this incident was resolved and that the safety of everyone at the school was kept intact during this tense situation. As always, we appreciate law enforcement, school officials, and the judicial system for pulling together to ensure Smith faces the consequences for his crimes on school property.”
