GRANITE QUARRY — A Rowan County man who was delivering a subpoena has been charged with having a gun on school property.

According to the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, Mark Lee Greenfield walked into Erwin Middle School about 9:50 a.m. Monday.

Greenfield, who has a concealed-carry gun license and is also a concealed weapons instructor, had a gun and a badge hanging from his belt. School staff members said they saw a .9 mm loaded Springfield XD 9 — a semi-automatic handgun. The badge, one staff member told deputies, resembled those used by the New York Police Department.

Erwin Principal Daniel Herring asked nearby school resource officers to come to the office.

Officer Tommy Cato said Greenfield told him he worked for the N.C. Protection Group and had been contracted by Salisbury attorney Todd Paris to serve a subpoena on Herring. Greenfield said he thought he could carry a weapon on campus because he was a licensed security guard, and he quoted an N.C. General Statute.

Cato called the Rowan County District Attorney’s Office and was told that Greenfield was not allowed to have a weapon on campus.

“Under the law, no one but an officer can possess a weapon on school grounds,” Sheriff’s Office spokesman Capt. John Sifford said.

Greenfield was also carrying a 16-round magazine and did have a weapons permit. He was charged with a misdemeanor citation for having a weapon on school grounds.

Entry to Erwin Middle School is controlled through a security vestibule.

“The incident was handled quickly and at no time were students in any danger,” Herring said in a Tuesday morning message to parents. “We continue to work closely with law enforcement, and we are grateful to them for the strong support we receive on a daily basis in keeping Erwin a safe place for our students and staff.”