Post last updated at 12:57 p.m. Monday:
Lawrence High School was under lockdown Monday morning after a report that a student may have a weapon on campus. Officers later found a pellet gun at a nearby park.
School resource officers were notified that a 14-year-old student may have brought a weapon to school, according to a news release from the Lawrence Police Department.
“An SRO and school security officer located the suspect student re-entering the school as it was locked down, but he was not in possession of a firearm, and denied having brought one to school,” according to the release. “Due to the numerous students that reported seeing a firearm, officers believed the student had ditched the firearm prior to being contacted, and began working to retrace the student’s steps to locate it while the school remained locked down.”
The student ultimately told officers where he had stashed the weapon at nearby Veterans Park, according to the release.
“The pellet gun, which closely resembled a pistol, was recovered in a bush in the park,” according to the release.
“The student, who did not provide a specific reason for bringing a pellet gun to school, will be taken to the Juvenile Detention Center for processing,” according to the release.
Students were given the all-clear and told they could proceed to their next classes around 10:20 a.m. The lockdown lasted about 30 minutes.
Administrators would continue working with Lawrence police to investigate the report, according to information from district spokesperson Julie Boyle.
Boyle said the district appreciates the individual who reported the safety concern to school staff so it could be immediately investigated, and she thanked Lawrence police for their assistance.
“We understand that incidents like this are upsetting,” Boyle said. “Student Services support is available at school for students and staff who want to speak with a counselor.”
Boyle asked parents to “Please discuss with your students at home that weapons of any kind are prohibited at school and review with them the consequences outlined in the Student Handbook for violations of this policy. Please encourage students to continue to report any safety concerns.”
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