COLUMBIA, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today that on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018, the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO), along their local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, will visit schools across South Carolina to meet with students as a part of South Carolina’s 17th Annual Student Pledge Against Gun Violence. With a focus on keeping their schools and communities safe, students in middle school and high school are signing a voluntary pledge promising that they will never take a gun to school, will never resolve a dispute with a gun, and will use their influence to prevent friends from using guns to resolve disputes. Elementary school children are making a simpler commitment, pledging that if they see a gun they will not touch it, they will tell a teacher or a trusted adult, and they will assume that any gun they see might be loaded.
The Student Pledge Against Gun Violence is a national program that recognizes the role young people, through their own decisions, can play in reducing gun violence. The program provides a means for beginning the conversation with young people about gun violence and encourages important conversation among young people about gun safety and respectful ways to resolve disputes. Students from around the country will join together in pledging to do their part. For additional information concerning the pledge, visit the national Student Pledge website at www.pledge.org.
As it has done since 2002, the USAO reached out to all South Carolina law enforcement agencies and schools to make the pledges available to interested schools. This pledge effort is part of Project CeaseFire, which is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a national program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. One year ago, in October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all USAOs to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
The following South Carolina schools and local law enforcement agencies are participating in this year’s pledge on October 17th. A total of 59 schools across the state are participating in this year’s pledge event, some of which requested speakers for their pledge event, as noted below with an “asterisk". For information on events scheduled for a particular school, please contact that school directly. The USAO would like to thank the FBI, ATF, and United States Marshals Service for their assistance in providing speakers to the 28 requesting schools. For additional information concerning the pledge, visit the national Student Pledge web site at www.pledge.org.
Participating Schools
A.J. Lewis Greenview Elementary School - Columbia*
Austin Middle School - Summerville*
A. R. Lewis Opportunity School - Pickens
Applied Technology Center - Rock Hill
Battery Creek High School - Beaufort*
Beaufort Middle School - Beaufort*
Blacksburg Middle School -Blacksburg*
Burke High School - Charleston*
C.E. Williams Middle School - Charleston
Cane Bay Middle School - Summerville
Castle Heights Middle School - Rock Hill
Cheraw Intermediate School - Cheraw*
Clover 9th Grade Campus - Clover
Clover High School - Clover
Dutchman Creek Middle School - Rock Hill
Forest Heights Elementary School - Columbia*
Gilbert High School - Gilbert*
Gold Hill Middle School - Tega Cay
Greer High School - Greer
Hardeeville - Ridgeland Middle School - Ridgeland*
Hilton Head High School - Hilton Head
Hilton Head Island Middle School - Hilton Head Island
James Island Charter High School - James Island
Ladson Elementary - Ladson
Lee Central High School - Bishopville
Liberty Elementary School - Liberty*
Lemira Elementary School - Sumter
Longleaf Middle School - Columbia*
Macedonia Middle School - Moncks Corner*
McCormick High School - McCormick*
McCormick Middle School - McCormick*
Midlands Art Conservatory - Columbia*
Myrtle Beach High School - Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach Middle School - Myrtle Beach
North Augusta Middle School - North Augusta
Northwest Elementary School - Gaffney*
Northwestern High School - Rock Hill
Oakbrook Middle School - Ladson
Oakridge Middle School - Clover
Ocean Drive Elementary School - Myrtle Beach
Paul Knox Middle School - North Augusta
Pepperhill Elementary School - Charleston*
Pine Grove Elementary School - Columbia*
Pine Ridge Middle School - West Columbia
Rawlinson Road Middle School - Rock Hill
Richland One Middle College - Columbia*
Robert Small International Academy - Beaufort
Rock Hill High School - Rock Hill*
South Pointe High School - Rock Hill
St. George Middle School - St. George*
St. James - Santee Elementary Middle School - McClellanville*
St. James Intermediate School - Charleston
St. John's High School - John’s Island*
Sullivan Middle School - Rock Hill
Summerville High School - Summerville*
Ware Shoals Primary School -Ware Shoals*
Washington Street Elementary -Hartsville*
W.J. Keenan High School - Columbia
Whale Branch Early College High School - Seabrook*
Whale Branch Middle School - Seabrook
Participating Local Law Enforcement Agencies
Beaufort Police Department
Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office
Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office
Charleston County Sheriff’s Office
Charleston Police Department
City of Charleston Department of Police
Columbia Police Department
Greenwood County Sheriff’s Department
Greer Police Department
Hardeeville Police Department
McCormick Sheriff’s Department
Midlands Technical College
Myrtle Beach Police Department
North Augusta Department of Public Safety
North Charleston Police Department
Pickens County Sheriff’s Office
Richland County Sheriff’s Department
Rock Hill Police Department
St. George Police Department
Summerville Police Department
Sumter Police Department
Tega Cay Police Department
Town of Summerville
York County Sheriff’s Office ##
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
