A 15-year-old Stillwater High School student was taken into custody after school resource officers discovered a firearm inside the student's backpack on campus. Officials say the teen was detained without incident, no injuries occurred, and no threats were made to the school.
Stillwater Police Department officers learned the student was reportedly in possession of a firearm on school property, according to KOKH. School resource officers assigned to the campus found and detained the student, and the outlet reports the firearm was recovered from inside the backpack. Police said they would maintain an increased presence at the school in the aftermath.
A Brand-New Campus Eight Weeks Old
The incident lands at a strange moment for the district — Stillwater Public Schools only cut the ribbon on its new 188,000-square-foot, $78 million high school facility on July 30, with students starting classes there on August 13, according to The Stillwegian. The building, funded by a $195 million voter-approved bond, replaced a facility that dated back to 1960. Stillwater High School is part of Stillwater Public Schools.
School resource officers assigned to the campus found and detained the student.
The case also arrives amid a broader statewide push on school gun penalties. Oklahoma lawmakers introduced Senate Bill 1254 in December 2023 to increase state penalties for bringing illegal firearms onto school property, reflecting ongoing legislative attention to campus weapons violations, per the Oklahoma State Senate.
What Oklahoma Law Says About Guns on School Grounds
In 2023, possessing a firearm on school property was a misdemeanor; SB 1254 proposed making it a felony, punishable by a $2,500 fine and up to one year in prison.
It remains unclear how the 15-year-old obtained the firearm, and no information has been released on whether an adult or gun owner could face responsibility under state law for allowing a minor access to it. Whether the student will face juvenile court proceedings or prosecution under Oklahoma's Youthful Offender provisions has also not been addressed.
The Stillwater Police Department, which maintains 80 sworn officers and 45 civilian staff, said increased presence at the high school will continue as the investigation proceeds.
