John Dickinson student second arrested for bringing gun, ammo to school in past week
A 16-year-old student at John Dickinson High School in Milltown has been charged with four felonies Wednesday after bringing a gun and ammunition to school, according to Delaware State Police.
According to Delaware State Police and an email to parents from school Principal Devearl Royster, a "concern was reported to a school administrator" around 7:45 a.m. about a student possibly having a gun.
The student was escorted out of class and was found to have a loaded magazine on him, police said. A school resource officer then searched the teen's backpack, the email said, where they found an unloaded gun.
The teen was arrested but will also face disciplinary action "according to the Red Clay Consolidated School District code of conduct," according to the email.
Delaware State Police said that because there were no threats "stated or implied" toward students or staff, the school day went on as usual.
The 16-year-old has been charged with possession of a firearm in a safe school zone, possession of a deadly weapon by a person under 18, possession of ammunition by a person under 18 and carrying a concealed firearm. All four charges are felonies.
He has been committed to the Ferris School on a $12,000 bond.
The 16-year-old's arrest comes just one week after a 17-year-old Cape Henlopen High School student was arrested for bringing a loaded 9 mm handgun to school in their backpack. The district called parents to alert them of the situation that same day and, once the student was taken into custody, the school day continued as normal.
It is unclear whether Red Clay Consolidated School District parents were informed of Wednesday's incident. The district did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
"It is up to adults to make sure that they are following the safe and secure storage laws of our state," said Traci Murphy, executive director of the Coalition for a Safer Delaware. "Children should never have access to firearms, and responsible gun owners know this."
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Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on X at @h_edelman.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: John Dickinson High School student arrested for bringing gun to school
