BEDFORD CO., Va. – Update:
The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office has released a statement regarding the incident that occurred at Bedford Elementary:
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This is a follow-up to the incident on 3/13/26 at Bedford Elementary School involving the weapon being brought on school grounds. It is fact that there are many inaccuracies circulating on social media and news outlets that question the actions and response of school staff.
I would first like to say that this incident was serious and unfortunate, however due to the school staff responding quickly and appropriately, this incident had a positive outcome, and no one was harmed in this incident. Following the protocols and training set forth by the school administration prove by this outcome that they were effective and could not have been better given the scenario.
The school administration notified the Sheriff’s Office at which time we responded and began the investigation into this matter. There was no reason to put the school on lockdown as there was no active threat. The decision to notify parents in the afternoon was at our request as to allow us to complete our investigation without having interference when there was once again no threat to any student or staff on campus at that time. The message sent home to parents in the afternoon was to be transparent and allow parents to speak with their children on what had occured.
As your Sheriff, we at my office take the safety and security of our children and all citizens in the county seriously and will do everything possible to ensure their safety and the safety of their learning environment. As you can see, we brought criminal charges on those responsible for this incident and urge every citizen to be responsible gun owners and keep firearms secured and out of reach of children.
As to the criminal charges placed, we cannot comment further as this is now an active case and every individual is presumed innocent, we can’t discuss potential evidence in a case that may negatively impact a person’s right to a fair trial.
Bedford County Sheriff
Original:
Two people are facing charges after Bedford County Officials said they were made aware that a weapon had been brought to Bedford Elementary School on Friday.
According to officials, staff immediately followed safety protocols and the situation was quickly addressed, the item was secured, and the student involved was removed from the classroom.
Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officers, investigators, and school staff began investigating the incident and learned the origin of the firearm and those involved with the incident, officials say.
The location was also searched utilizing deputies and K-9 Stetson and no other firearms or contraband were found. At the completion of the investigation, one single charge was obtained for Samantha Jeffries and Clydale Moon of Bedford County for violation of 18.2-56.2 (recklessly leave an unsecured firearm so as to endanger the life or limb of a child under the age of 14).
Nobody was injured during the incident and there is no active threat, BCSO said.
Incidents like this serve as an important reminder of the importance of securing your firearms and being responsible gun owners and the role, we all play in keeping our communities, schools and children safe. We encourage families to talk with their children about the importance of not bringing prohibited items to school and to report concerns to a trusted adult if they see or hear something that does not seem right.
Bedford County Sheriff's Office