A student at Moore Middle School in Redlands was arrested on Thursday after he was found to be in possession of a handgun on campus.
Controversy exceeding that of the incident itself ensued when district officials asserted that when the district issued a statement in the immediate aftermath of the 12-year-old’s arrest that “At no time were students or staff in danger.” In fact, district officials knew that the gun in question was loaded.”
Subsequently, it was revealed that the gun was loaded.
According to the Redlands Police Department, several of its officers “responded to Moore Middle School Thursday afternoon, March 19, to a report that a student brought a loaded firearm on campus. School officials received a report from another student that the 12-year-old male was showing off a bullet during lunch at about 1 p.m. Administrators and campus security quickly located the student and found a loaded gun in his backpack. They detained the student and called police.”
As soon as police arrived, “The school was put on lockdown for several hours while police and campus safety officials searched the campus,” the department reported. “Police and school officials determined the student had brought the weapon from home to show it off to other students. No threats were made against the campus, students or staff. The student was arrested for possession of a gun on campus, and the parents were arrested for improper storage of a firearm. The investigation is ongoing.”
The school remained on lockdown until 2:13 p.m., five minutes before the close of Moore Middle School’s normal daily educational session.
Christine Stephens, a spokeswoman for the district, issued a statement in the form of a news release that “At no time were students or staff in danger.”
Stephens effort to reassure parents and the public that school employees had expeditiously handled the situation backfired when it was revealed the gun was fully loaded and operational.
District officials held a public information meeting at 5 p.m Thursday in the school’s multipurpose room with school officials, campus safety officers and Redlands Police in attendance to address questions and concerns from parents. It was during the course of that meeting that several parents learned the gun was loaded. Some felt district officials had misled them and others.
By Friday morning the campus had resumed operations as normal.