Officials with the Rutherford County School system report that a gun was found in a student's backpack Thursday (3/10/2016).

County School's Information Director James Evans told NewsRadio WGNS, "A tip from a student led to the search of another student at the school, and law enforcement and the school administration discovered a loaded handgun in the student's backpack. The student was removed from class immediately, has been expelled under the zero tolerance policy and will face multiple criminal charges."

Evans noted that the incident occurred at Stewart's Creek High School in Smyrna, and administration sent a direct message to all parents of Stewarts Creek Elementary, Middle and High School students. He explained that this was done, because all of the schools are on the same campus.

The school's spokesperson stressed that all students were safe and the school followed the safety procedures in place for these types of incidents, which are rare.

Again, the incident happened Thursday morning at Stewarts Creek High School, and Evans simply wants to keep everyone informed and to address any rumors before they begin. If parents have any questions about their children, they are asked to please contact their child's school directly.