Student accused of bringing gun to Westerville North High School

WESTERVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) — A student at Westerville North High School has been arrested for allegedly taking a gun to school.

According to a letter sent home to parents, the father of the student called the school to express concerns about his son. He was concerned that his son may be in possession of a weapon.

The student was taken to a location away from students and staff and searched by a school resource officer. The officer found a small-caliber handgun in the front pocket of a pair of pants the student was wearing under his jeans, according to the district.

The student now faces disciplinary measures and criminal charges.

The school district sent the following letter to families:

Dear Westerville North High School Families:
 
Keeping students and staff safe is among our top priorities here at Westerville North. The purpose of this letter is to ensure that you receive first-hand details about a safety matter that we addressed immediately and in a manner that ensured the safety of everyone in the building.
 
A parent reached out to us this morning expressing concerns about his son. One of these concerns was that his son may be in possession of a weapon. Upon hearing this, we immediately followed our protocol to remove the student from class and take him to a secure location away from other students and staff.
 
Upon searching the student, School Resource Officer Dross took possession of a loaded, small-caliber handgun located in the front pocket of a pair of pants the student was wearing underneath his jeans. Needless to say, the student now faces the appropriate disciplinary and legal proceedings as a result of his actions.
 
Those are all of the details we have and are able to share at this time. As your principal, I take the safety of our school very seriously. I truly believe that all of the time, energy and effort we have put into safety training resulted in today’s matter being resolved quickly and without incident. I would like to thank everyone involved, particularly the Westerville Police, for their professionalism and support this morning. I especially want to thank the parent who contacted us with concerns about his son. This likely was a difficult decision, but one that illustrates how important it is for everyone to say something if they have any concerns about the safety of our school, students, or staff.
 
As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding this matter.
 
Sincerely,
Kurt Yancey
Principal