A Leavenworth High School student was arrested Monday afternoon after a school resource officer found a gun in the student's backpack, capping an investigation that administrators say never required locking down the rest of the building. No one was hurt, and the student was pulled from class and secured before other students or staff were put at risk.
According to KSHB 41 Kansas City, Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens said the school's SRO was notified late in the day that a student had brought a gun onto campus. The officer detained the student and located the firearm in the student's book bag, according to the station's report. The student was arrested on a charge of criminal possession of a weapon, per the same account, and was later transported to the Wyandotte County Detention Center.
The tip that set the response in motion came from other students, who reported that a classmate may have had a firearm in the building, the station notes. School administration and the SRO removed the student and their belongings from the rest of the student population and secured both in an administrative office while administrators and law enforcement launched an investigation, KSHB's reporting states. The SRO detained the student and located the weapon.
No Lockdown, Student Taken to Detention
School administration and law enforcement determined that a building-wide lockdown was not necessary, the outlet reports, because the student and the firearm were immediately removed and contained. That decision meant Leavenworth High School students continued their day largely undisturbed even as the investigation unfolded elsewhere in the building. The school, established in 1865, is among the oldest public high schools in Kansas and is the sole high school serving students from the adjacent Fort Leavenworth military installation, whose own district lacks a high school of its own.
The student was later transported to the Wyandotte County Detention Center.
Parents Learned Just Before the Bell
Leavenworth USD 453 and the Leavenworth Police Department issued a joint statement around 12:45 p.m., the station's report states, saying their first responsibility was to secure the situation and ensure student and staff safety. But according to FOX 4 KC, parents said they did not receive an emergency notification about the incident until 3:04 p.m. Monday — just one minute before the school's 3:05 p.m. dismissal bell.
FOX 4 KC also reported that no injuries occurred during the incident. Monday also marked the start of Spirit Week at the high school, according to a post from Leavenworth USD 453.
District Urges Students to Keep Reporting Concerns
Students alerted staff, and officials addressed rumors after Monday's incident. Additional concerns were brought forward to administration and law enforcement following Monday's incident, and officials said they continue to investigate each one, though the initial incident has not resulted in any credible threat being identified. Local law enforcement and district administration also provided additional support at the high school afterward to ensure the safety of students and staff.
James Vanek is principal of Leavenworth High School.
A school resource officer at Leavenworth High responded after being notified late in the day that a student had brought a gun onto campus.
