Loaded gun found in Maryland high school student's backpack; no one hurt

Hagerstown Police have charged a North Hagerstown High School junior as an adult after a loaded gun was found in the 16-year-old's backpack during the school day on Thursday, authorities said.

No one was injured, said Erin Anderson, spokeswoman for Washington County Public Schools.

Asked if the student planned to show the handgun off or if there were "evil intentions," Hagerstown Police Lt. Rebecca Fetchu texted, "We don't believe there were 'evil intentions' but obviously we take having a gun in a school setting very seriously."

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Anderson said "other individuals in the school reported to administrators that they believed there was unlawful activity in the building."

"The weapon was discovered after reports were received by school staff that led our administrators and School Safety and Security Assistants to search the student’s backpack," North High Principal Mike Chilcutt wrote in an emailed message addressed to North High "families and staff."

"Upon discovering the gun, the School Resource Officer secured the weapon and removed the student from the building. The student will not be returning to school while this matter is being investigated," Chilcutt wrote.

Anderson confirmed the accuracy of the emailed message Chilcutt shared with the school community.

Hagerstown Police were not releasing the student's name as of Friday morning, due to him being a minor.

Hagerstown teen faces gun, drug charges

The young Hagerstown resident has been charged with five misdemeanors, including being in possession of a firearm as a minor, Hagerstown Police Officer Heather Aleshire said Friday morning. Aleshire is the school resource officer at North High who was called in when the gun was discovered.

It is that charge that qualified the youth to be charged as an adult, Aleshire said.

The teenager also was charged with having a handgun on person, having a loaded handgun on person, having a dangerous weapon on school property and possession of a controlled dangerous substance — suspected hallucinogenic mushrooms, Aleshire said.

Aleshire, who has been a school resource officer for 22 of her 24 years with Hagerstown Police, said in her experience, there has been a rise in youths with hallucinogenic drugs.

Aleshire said she encourages parents to be vigilant with their children, including who they are hanging out with and regarding changes in behavior and moods.

It's important for parents to have "open conversations" with their children, even when that is difficult, she said.

School resource officers provided by local law enforcement

Local law enforcement, in this case Hagerstown Police, provide school resource officers in several public schools in Washington County.

Almost a year ago, under new Superintendent David Sovine, the public school system hired security assistants due to an increase in behavioral issues.

Anderson said from the time the student was removed from the classroom, to taking him to a private area to be searched and removing him from the building took about 5 minutes in total.

This occurred while students were in class and not during the change period between classes, Anderson said.

The school did not go on lockdown and proceeded with its normal dismissal at the end of the school day, she said.

Hagerstown Police confirm gun was loaded

The incident occurred during the afternoon at one of the community's largest schools. North High is at 1200 Pennsylvania Ave.

"With our emergency protocols, we do not initiate a lockdown unless there is an active threat within the building, like an active shooter," Anderson said.

Fetchu, spokesperson for Hagerstown Police, said Thursday she did not have any details regarding where the gun came from. She confirmed it was loaded.

Fetchu wrote that school staff and the school resource officer did an "excellent job" responding to the incident.

Chilcutt, who has several years experience as a principal for the school system, wrote in the email, "It is a heavy responsibility to share these details with our school community. As the principal, the reality of this potential danger to our students and staff is difficult to fully comprehend. It is clear, thanks to the students and staff who stepped forward, that unlawful activity will not be tolerated at North High.

"I recognize this incident will bring up various emotions from our students, staff, and families. Our counseling team is always available if students would like to discuss any concerns," he wrote.

Chilcutt ended the email with, "The safety of our students is our highest responsibility. I ask you to encourage your child to quickly report any potentially dangerous situation to a trusted adult in our school."

Sovine, "in the interest of providing accurate information and with the hope of preventing a similar incident in the future," shared a written update late Thursday afternoon with WCPS families about the situation.

"It is critical that we work collectively as a community to keep our schools safe," Sovine wrote.

"Our students, staff, families and community members must quickly report any potential dangers to the school and/or local law enforcement. Please assure your children they are doing the right thing by speaking up for school safety," Sovine wrote.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Loaded handgun found in North Hagerstown High student's backpack