Gibraltar High Student Taken Into Custody After Discovery of Pistol

Gibraltar Area School officials said criminal charges will be pursued after a student brought a pistol to school on Friday. File photo.

Letters went out via email to parents after a high school student brought a pistol to Gibraltar Area School and was taken into custody around midday Friday, March 15. School officials indicated that charges will be pursued and school regulations additionally will be enforced.

“This letter is to inform you that a student brought a weapon (pistol) to school today,” superintendent Brett Stousland stated in the letter. “Our school is committed to the safety of all of our staff and students. We also want to clearly communicate with parents about safety issues when they arise.”

Stousland said his office received notification of the situation just before noon. A student told a teacher that a fellow student might have had a weapon. The teacher informed the high school principal and Security Resource Officer. Stousland estimated that the process of notifying the office staff and finding the student took just over two minutes. For a short period of time, while the student was being escorted out of school, Stousland made sure no students entered that hallway, but school remained in session.

“A student shared with a staff member that they thought another student might have a weapon. Immediately, the teacher notified the office and our Security Resource Officer (SRO),” Stousland continued in the email. “The student was immediately questioned and belongings searched. The weapon was found. At this time we do not know this student’s intent, but we are gathering that information now with the support of local law enforcement.”

School officials quickly notified all teachers and the board to let them know that everything was secure, Stousland said. By 1:15 pm, all Gibraltar parents were notified of the situation via email. The student was in custody and removed from the premises by that time.

The high school principal and SRO notified Stousland along with county law enforcement. 

“This is a violation of law; criminal charges will be brought in addition to school-imposed disciplinary measures,” Stousland wrote. “The student involved will be subject to school board policy and appropriate laws that govern weapons on school grounds.”

Stousland said the district had a quick debriefing session with administrators at about 2 pm, and the SRO will be present for another debriefing on Monday with the administration. The district officials will plan further messaging with teachers and students.

During the students’ daily 42-minute “advisory period,” they will be reminded how a student noticing a potentially dangerous situation resulted in a quick response. The student who told a teacher about the issue followed the Department of Justice guidance, “See Something, Say Something,” Stousland said.

“We’re going to use this to reiterate and re-message how important our kids are in knowing what is going on in our building,” Stousland said. 

He urged parents to “please discuss this issue with your child, if you feel appropriate, and emphasize it is against the law to bring weapons on school grounds. In addition, please emphasize the importance of telling you or an adult in school if they know of any potential dangers that could impact our students or staff. In this way, we are all working together to keep our school safe. 

“Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. 920.868.3284 x215 [email protected].”