Graduation day wasn’t the only excitement at Keith High School Thursday.

Two students from the Orrville school were taken into custody by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department after school principal Joseph Pettway discovered one of the students had brought a gun to school and transferred possession to another student.

Sgt. Mike Grantham, with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department said deputies were called to the school when word reached the principal’s office the firearm was on campus.

“We had a situation where one student brought the gun to school and was showing it off to another student,” Grantham said. “Some of the students found out about it and went to the principal. The other student’s book bag was searched and that’s where the gun was.”

The gun was described as a small .22 caliber revolver.

In what could have been a dangerous situation, Grantham said Pettway handled the incident very well.

“The principal did a very good job,” he said. “The gun was not loaded and there was no indication that he was going to use it to cause any of the teachers or students harm. He just wanted to show it off and show people that he had it.

“They didn’t pull it on anyone, he just wanted to show it off.”

For now, Pettway said they are still gathering information.

“We’re still trying to get both students’ stories and see what needs to be done,” he said. “We’re still looking into it.”

Though the situation did not turn out to be as dangerous as it could have, Grantham said the fact the student brought a gun to school is not taken lightly.

“Even though it wasn’t loaded, he still brought a gun to school, and that is a no-no,” Grantham said.

Dallas County Schools Superintendent Fannie McKenzie said school officials do not take any offense concerning firearms lightly.

“That kind of behavior will not be tolerated in the Dallas County School System,” she said. “Any student exhibiting that kind of behavior will be expelled from school.”

Both offenders were taken to the juvenile detention center where they were still being held as of Friday evening.