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Gwinnett Daily Post SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2018
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Vol. 48, No. 68
Student is arrested for gun at Lanier HS Safety in spotlight after Fla. shooting
BY ISABEL HUGHES AND CURT YEOMANS isabel.hughes@gwinnettdailypost.com curt.yeomans@gwinnettdailypost.com
A day after Nikolas Cruz allegedly killed 17 teens and adults at a Parkland, Fla., school, Gwinnett County Public Schools authorities were on alert after receiving reports that a 15-year-old Lanier High School student allegedly brought a handgun to campus. New details emerged Friday about the Lanier incident, which began when two students approached an administrator at about 9 a.m. Thursday, a school system police report said. The freshman had allegedly shown the gun to his classmates, and they went to the administrator because they were concerned about the situation, according to the report. “The administrator and officers quickly found the student while in his gym class,” the report said. “He admitted to having the handgun in his backpack, which was found to be inside his locker.” Cruz reportedly planned to plead guilty to the charges against him in the Florida shooting case. Given how soon the Lanier event happened after the Parkland shooting, Lanier High School officials’ concerns were heightened. In the Florida case, an AR-15 was used. Gwinnett County Public Schools police said in their report that the gun brought to Lanier was a Ruger .380 caliber LCPII. “News of a weapon on campus is unsettling for us all, especially in light of the tragic events from (Wednesday) in Florida,” Lanier High School Principal Christopher Martin wrote in a letter to See GUN, Page 5A
SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT For the opinion page, comics, crossword puzzles and more, see the expanded A section.
Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, keynote speaker of the Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation Cornerstone Society Donor Appreciation Gala at the Infinite Energy Center, talks about the heroic landing he made on New York’s Hudson River. (Staff Photos: Jason Braverman)
Captain speaking
Pilot recounts heroics at GMC Foundation gala
BY TREVOR MCNABOE
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trevor.mcnaboe @gwinnettdailypost.com
Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger enthralled guests of the Gwinnett Medical Center Donor Appreciation Gala on Saturday night speaking about the most pivotal 208 seconds of his career as an aircraft pilot. Sullenberger is most famously known for piloting and safely landing U.S. Airways Flight 1549 into the Hudson River after engine failure in 2009. “It was a routine day, everything was normal with Flight 1549 that day,” Sullenberger said. “Well, at least for the first 100 seconds, that is.” Sullenberger drew on all of his training throughout his 40-year career that led to the moment on Jan. 15, 2009. From his training at the U.S. Air Force Academy to doing training simulations, that one moment defined his career, he said. The gala, in its 10th year, was for people who donated at least $1,000 to the hospital’s
Visit gwinnettdailypost.com for more photos from the event.
Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation Chair Carlton Buchanan, left, and Gwinnett Medical Center President and CEO Philip Wolfe, right, present Barbara Howard with the 2018 Legacy Award during Saturday’s Cornerstone Society Donor Appreciation Gala at the Infinite Energy Center.
foundation and, according to president and CEO Phil Wolfe, it was well-deserved. “This is a great event for us because we don’t see each other enough,” Wolfe said. “Something like this brings us all together. That is the purpose behind this. It’s not a fundraiser but rather a nice evening.”
The GMC Foundation reported in its 2017 fiscal year that it received more than $6.7 million in donations, the largest amount in the 28-year history of the foundation. “It’s exciting. We have all different people that are donating,” said GMC Foundation Board Chairman Dr.
Carlton Buchanan. “We have more than 150 physicians that have donated more than $2,000, our employees this year donated more than $400,000. The growth and need of our community continues to grow, and each year our community opens up their hearts to meet that need.” To honor its keynote speaker, decorations and the theme of this year’s gala represented aviation and New York City. In 2016, the feature film “Sully,” directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks, was released in theaters and highlighted the story of the pilot’s emergency landing. Sullenberger joins a group of well-known individuals to speak at the foundation’s gala. Previous years’ speakers include comedian Seth Meyers,
See GALA, Page 5A
Run the Reagan organizers hoping to top 2,000 runners BY CURT YEOMANS
curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com
Organizers of this year’s Run The Reagan race hope to have as many as 2,500 runners hitting the pavement for a rare opportunity to run or walk on a car-free Ronald Reagan Parkway next weekend. The 2018 Run The Reagan race will be held Saturday. To accommodate the race, officials will shut down the entire length of Ronald Reagan Parkway from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. That will give not only the race participants a chance to run and walk on the road, but also nearby residents who want to stretch their legs, ride their bikes or
IF YOU GO What: Run the Reagan Where: Ronald Reagan Parkway (beginning and ending at Presidential Circle) When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday • 9 a.m.: Half marathon • 9:15 a.m.: 10K • 10:30 a.m.: Fun run • 11 a.m.: Timed and untimed 5K’s • Road remains closed to vehicular traffic until 5 p.m. More Info: www.runthereagan.net
walk their dogs on the parkway that afternoon. The race, which includes a half marathon, a 10K, a 5K and a 1-mile fun run, is a qualifier for
for the Gwinnett Community Clinic. After the clinic closed in late 2015, it became a separate event, raising money for local charities. This year’s race will benefit the Brookwood Schools Foundation, the Lilburn Cooperative Ministry and the Southeast Gwinnett Cooperative Ministry. Those are the same beneficiaries as last year’s race, Auld said. In 2017, Run the Reagan organizers distributed The 10K race begins during last year’s Run The Reagan on Ronald Reagan Parkway in a total of $60,000 to the three groups, with each orSnellville. This year’s race will be held Saturday. (File Photo) ganization receiving about the Peachtree Road Race. this year,” said Run the as many as 2,300 to 2,500 $20,000. “All of the proceeds “We had right about Reagan Chairman Warren runners.” 1,900 runners last year. Auld, who expects at least Run The Reagan began either goes toward staging We’re expecting to see 2,000 runners. “With good nearly a quarter of a cenSee REAGAN, Page 5A that number increase weather, we could have tury ago as a fundraiser
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