Jan. 5—JAMESTOWN — A body scanner at Ragsdale High School detected a handgun that a student tried to bring into the building Thursday morning.

Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers said that the school resource officer at Ragsdale reported that just before 9:15 a.m. the student was stopped immediately by school staff after the gun triggered an alert from the body scanner. An inspection of the student's belongings found the gun in the student's backpack.

The student then grabbed the backpack and ran away but was quickly found by deputies from the Guilford County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies found that the gun in the backpack was loaded, Rogers said.

The sheriff's office didn't release the name of the student or any other details because the student is a juvenile.

Disciplinary action is being followed in accordance with the student code of conduct, said Gabrielle Brown, media relations specialist with Guilford County Schools.

The weapon was discovered as soon as the student arrived and no one was threatened or harmed, Brown said.

Guilford County Schools spent about $800,000 to lease 43 Evolv Express high-speed scanners, made by a Massachusetts company, and installed them in all 19 traditional high schools in mid-August. They scan everyone who walks through for objects of a shape and density consistent with a possible weapon.

Rogers said that the incident shows the extra layer of security is working.

"This incident was brought to a successful conclusion thanks to teamwork between the staff at Ragsdale High School, the school resource officer and patrol deputies from the Guilford County Sheriff's Office," the sheriff said. "This incident also highlights the benefits of body scanners, which were recently implemented in all Guilford County high schools."

pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul