Union County high school student charged with bringing rifle onto school property

UNION COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) - A Union County high school student faces felony charges for reportedly bringing a rifle onto school property.

Cannon Nash Davis, an 18-year-old senior at Forest Hills High School, has been charged with felony possessing a firearm on educational property.

Union County deputies found a muzzleloader rifle in the student’s vehicle parked in the student lot.

On Monday, deputies were performing random safety sweeps in the student parking lot when they observed alcohol in plain view inside the passenger area of a pickup truck.

Additional cans of beer were found in the bed of the truck, deputies said.

Union County deputies, along with school administration, learned that the pickup truck belonged to Davis.

Deputies found the muzzleloader rifle under items of clothing in the floorboard of the back seat.

Davis also had a fake driver’s license.

He was arrested and taken to the Union County Jail.

Deputies say they are not aware of any threats toward any students or staff.

In addition to the firearms charge, Davis faces charges of possession of certain fraudulent forms of identification as well as underage possession of a malted beverage.

Deputies say that North Carolina General Statute 14-269.2(b) states, “It shall be a Class I felony for any person knowingly to possess or carry, whether openly or concealed, any gun, rifle, pistol, or other firearm of any kind on educational property or to a curricular or extracurricular activity sponsored by a school…”