Deputies arrest 15-year-old Puyallup-area student for allegedly bringing a gun to school
Deputies arrested a 15-year-old Emerald Ridge High School student Wednesday after he allegedly brought a gun to campus
Pierce County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Sgt. Darren Moss Jr. told The News Tribune that around lunchtime Nov. 8 a school official escorted the student to the main office on suspicion of vaping.
On the way there the student tossed a small bag across the floor in the direction of another student. The school official retrieved the bag and “became increasingly concerned of its contents” because of its weight, Moss said.
A school resource officer opened the bag and found a handgun fully loaded with the round in the chamber, Moss said.
The student was arrested on suspicion of unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a dangerous weapon on school grounds and possession of a marijuana vape pen.
Puyallup School District spokesperson Sarah Gillispie wrote in an email that the high school expelled the student for no less than 365 days.
Moss said this is the third gun — within a month — that the Sheriff’s Department has found at a Puyallup-area school. A student allegedly brought one to Glacier View Junior High in October. Another allegedly brought one to Ballou Junior High the same month. No one was hurt.
The News Tribune also reported that the Puyallup Police Department arrested a 17-year-old student Nov. 2 after he allegedly brought a handgun to Puyallup High School.
Gillispie said: “there was no intent to harm or cause violence” in any of the four cases.
Her email also said: “Although extremely troubling, these recent events tell us that the reporting and our response to intervention is working. However, the recurrence is alarming so we are assembling resources and doing whatever necessary to educate about existing protocols and aligning on what we can do better.”
The school district will host a community safety forum 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14, online at puyallupsd.zoom.us/j/89251534362#success. The plan is to answer questions and concerns about the district’s safety and security protocols, as well as seek feedback from the community.
Moss said it’s important to realize children are either stealing guns or taking guns from their homes. Those who own guns should lock them up, and guns shouldn’t be left in a car, he said.
The school district has a SafeSchools Alert incident reporting system online at puyallupsd.org/about-us/departments/communications/report-it.
