PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A middle school student was arrested after bringing a gun to school on Monday.
According to the Salem Police Department, a Stephens Middle School student reportedly brought a gun hidden in their backpack on Monday morning. Before officers arrived at the scene around 10:40 a.m., school staff detained the middle schooler without any incident.
Once they arrived, police confiscated the handgun and took the student into custody. The student was booked into the Marion County Juvenile Detention Facility on two counts of menacing, unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in a public building.
No further details about the student will be released.
Stephens Middle School Principal David Wood later sent a message to parents to inform them of the incident. In the message, he says although the investigation is ongoing, they do not believe this was part of a planned attack on the school.
Wood also ensured parents that safety is the school’s highest priority and commended students for reporting the gun right away.
“I know this is concerning news to hear and we want to commend our students who did the right thing and quickly reported this information to school staff,” Wood’s statement read, in part. “Your student is our most important priority, and we will always take every possible measure to keep them safe. I want to take this opportunity to remind us all of the role we each play in keeping our schools safe. We encourage you to have a conversation with your child about what is not appropriate to bring to school.”
Wood told parents the “disciplinary actions associated with situations like these are severe,” but they will be respecting the privacy of those directly involved.