Staff at the Willis Education Center in Delaware, Ohio, discovered a firearm inside an administration office on Thursday, leading to a student being taken into custody and a flurry of concern across the district. School officials said the area was quickly secured, no one was injured, and only immediate safety steps were taken rather than a full-building evacuation.
According to WBNS, a school resource officer and the Delaware Police Department conducted a search that led to the weapon being located, after which officers took the student into custody. The district said the case remains under investigation and that it was not yet clear whether criminal charges had been filed.
District Says Building Is Secure, No Ongoing Threat
The district told WBNS it "believes there is no ongoing threat to students or staff" and pledged to cooperate fully with the police investigation. Administrators also said they are reviewing how a firearm ended up in an administrative space in the first place, a question many parents are likely asking as well.
Gun Find Follows Columbus Lockdown A Day Earlier
The incident in Delaware came just one day after a gun was discovered in a student’s belongings at Dominion Middle School in Columbus, which briefly went into lockdown before classes resumed, as reported by The Columbus Dispatch. In the wake of both discoveries, local officials have urged families to remind students to speak up if they see or hear something concerning and to lean on established school safety protocols.
Willis Education Center’s Role In The District
The Willis Education Center serves as the home base for Delaware City Schools’ administrative offices and family-support programs and functions as a central hub for district services. Families can enroll in the district’s notification system and access safety resources through the district website, where contact information and communication tools for parents and guardians are listed. Delaware City Schools maintains those channels.
What Families Can Expect Next
Police say the investigation is ongoing, and district officials have promised to update families through their usual communication systems. In the meantime, school leaders are urging students and staff to continue reporting anything suspicious and are reminding the community that safety procedures and support services remain in place as the situation unfolds.
