Gibraltar Student Charged with Felony Possession of a Firearm

Court documents say revolver found in 17-year-old’s jacket 

A 17-year-old Gibraltar High School student made his first court appearance March 18 on a charge of felony possession of a firearm after a pistol was found in his jacket while he was at school on Friday, March 15, according to the criminal complaint.

Bond for Aidan Roger Rice of Sister Bay was set at $5,000 with requirements for him to not enter school grounds or school buildings or to have indirect contact with Gibraltar school; not to attend any Gibraltar extracurricular activities; and not to possess any firearms or potentially dangerous weapons.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of a $10,000 fine and imprisonment up to three-and-a-half years, or both. He has another appearance scheduled in Door County Circuit Court at 10 am, May 13.

District Attorney Colleen Nordin agreed with Judge David L. Weber’s allowance for Rice to return to his home and remain in the house under the control and supervision of his parents until they brought him back to Sturgeon Bay on Tuesday or Wednesday, when he could be fitted with a GPS monitoring device.

Public Defender Shannon Viel said he is willing to represent the 17-year-old going forward, although his parents told him they may hire a private attorney.

According to the criminal complaint, one of the secondary school special education teachers, Mrs. Bahrke, came to see School Resource Officer (SRO) Heather Bemmann at 11:10 am, carrying a sticky note in her hand that read, “gun in jacket.” A student had handed the teacher the note while in class, and she immediately went to the office to report it.

Superintendent Brett Stousland immediately removed Rice from the classroom. Back in the superintendent’s office, they searched his backpack and Rice became very upset, asking to have Mrs. Bahrke in the room with him, according to the complaint. Officials did not find a gun in the backpack and Rice asked if he could leave the room to speak with Mrs. Bahrke in private. When he was not permitted to do so, he put his head in his hands and started to cry, according to the complaint. SRO Bemmann then asked Rice if she would find anything in his jacket and he said he had a gun in his pocket, according to the complaint. In the jacket pocket, Bemmann found a .38 Ruger revolver, loaded with five hollow point shells, four Remington .22 long rifle bullets and two CCI .22 lead bullets. 

Bemann secured the weapon and ammunition in her office, and Rice was transported to Door County Jail, where he remained until his Monday morning appearance.

After Rice was removed from the school, SRO Bemmann talked to students in the classroom, according to the complaint. Two different students told Bemmann that on the previous day, March 14, Rice mentioned being chased by someone in the park and at a store. Both times when he was talking, Rice tapped on his jacket ,and the students in the separate conversations each heard a metallic sound, according to the complaint.

One of the students told the SRO that, after thinking more about the metallic sound and the weight in the student’s jacket, Rice may have had a gun.

Bemmann said Rice told her, according to the complaint, that he was afraid of a student (whose name was withheld), and he felt he needed protection. Bemann noted that particular student had not been at school since at least November 2023. When Door County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Chris Neuville interviewed Rice later at the Door County Jail, Rice said that about a week prior he was at Walmart with his mother and while he was in the bathroom, that student was pounding on the stall door, according to the complaint. Rice again told Neuville he brought the gun to school in case he had to defend himself against that individual.

Following the court hearing Monday, Stousland distributed a letter to all parents about how the district is communicating and working with staff and students in response to the situation.

“The student was interviewed by school administration as well as law enforcement, and the student’s intent doesn’t appear to be towards any students or staff at our school,” Stousland wrote. “Regardless, the district intends to pursue the greatest level of consequences, within the law, to ensure the safety of all of our students and staff.”

Rice had been taken into custody just before midday Friday, March 15. School officials quickly notified all teachers and the board to let them know that everything was secure, Stousland said. By 1:15 pm, Stousland notified all Gibraltar parents via email letting them know about the incident and assuring the school’s commitment to safety for all staff and students. Stousland estimated that the process of notifying the office staff and finding the student took just over two minutes. 

Stousland said the district had a quick debriefing session with administrators on Friday. Monday morning, he and secondary principal James DeBroux debriefed all staff members and further followed up with any involvement in the situation. 

Stousland distributed another letter to parents Monday, saying school counselors will speak to all students in grades 6-12 this week. He reiterated the importance of students telling an adult in school if they are aware of potential dangers. Elementary teachers also have been given resources for responding to any questions or concerns students have.

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

“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 shared Department of Homeland Security dhs.gov/see-something-say-something resource as well as similar tips from Sandy Hook Promise tinyurl.com/ddnz9x27 and Wisconsin’s speakup.widoj.gov.

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. 

Stousland encouraged people to contact him at 920.868.3284 Ext. 215 [email protected].