Gunshot fired at Palisades High School, parents frustrated with CMS response

CHARLOTTE — A gun was fired at Palisades High School, leaving a bullet hole in a classroom window, according to a police report and a photo obtained by Channel 9.

Tuesday, Charlotte- Mecklenburg Schools confirmed police are investigating the incident but released few details.

The release sparked frustration from parents who say communication has been slow and incomplete.

“We got the ParentSquare notification around, like, 3:20 p.m.,” said a parent whose child attends Palisades High School.

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One parent mentioned that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department documented the shooting just after 5 p.m.

Police also confirmed an arrest was made related to the incident, but further details were not provided.

Another parent recalled a previous incident at Southwest Middle School where a stabbing occurred, noting the delay in communication.

“A kid was stabbed, and we didn’t hear anything about it until it was on the news,” that parent expressed.

On Tuesday, leaders in the school district refused to explain why a person was arrested in this incident or the circumstances that surrounded the shooting.

“Beyond that, I can’t speak to it because it is an active investigation,” said CMS Superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill.

“I don’t understand not sharing, or why they’re not sharing, or if CMPD is telling them not to say anything,” a parent told Channel 9.

Some parents said they could understand that some information is privileged; however, weapons making it onto campus is prevalent.

“Anytime your kids are on campus, it’s becoming more and more of a concern these days,” that parent expressed.

That parent also said the release of information shouldn’t depend on whether or not the incident involved a firearm.

“Nobody wants to see a knife either, or any kind of weapon on campus, but I think guns, particularly, there’s a lot of damage they can do in a short amount of time,” said that parent.

However, CMS said gun-related reports on campuses are down 69% since the 2021–2022 school year, though data from last year is still being finalized.

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article had a quote from a parent that appeared to be attributed to Dr. Hill. This article has been corrected.

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