Teen found with gun on school property
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on December 1, 2006 1:46 PM
A 15-year-old Spring Creek High School student was charged with bringing a weapon on the school campus Monday afternoon, according to local officials.
Capt. George Raecher of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office said the incident occurred around 2 p.m. Monday. The student, who alleged the gun was given to him by another juvenile, showed it to someone at the school, who in turn reported it. The .32-caliber handgun was unloaded, Raecher said.
Ken Derksen, public relations officer with Wayne County Public Schools, confirmed that a student was disarmed after an investigation.
"It came to the attention of the front office (at the school) that a student may have a firearm on him," Derksen said. "He was separated from the other students, disarmed and taken into custody by the school resource officer."
The News-Argus had received calls from parents of students at the school, concerned that officials at Spring Creek as well as the central office had been unresponsive to questions since the incident occurred on Monday.
When the News-Argus contacted the central schools office Thursday morning, Derksen said a letter was being sent home to parents that afternoon.
"We wanted to wait until everything was finalized," Derksen said of the delay in notifying parents.
"It was an isolated incident that was witnessed by very few students."
While he could not discuss specifics of the disciplinary measures taken, Derksen said any time a student is caught in possession of a weapon they are going to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. School board policy states a student in possession of a firearm or powerful explosive on school property must be suspended for 365 days and can be removed to an alternative school.
"It's something that we take very seriously. The safety of our students has to be top priority," he said.
In the letter sent out by the school, principal Stephen Clingan said the staff, including the school resource officer, handled the situation appropriately and encouraged parents to do their part to ensure students remain safe.
"Please allow that this situation serve as a reminder that we need your assistance in helping keep our students safe," he wrote. "Talk to your child and let them know that weapons on school campus will not be tolerated. It's not only dangerous, but it is against the law."