Gun taken from student at Downey High, Modesto City Schools reports. All students safe
Modesto City Schools emphasized that students are well and safe at Downey High School after a gun was confiscated from one of their peers.
Campus security staff received an anonymous report Monday morning that students had seen one of their schoolmates in possession of a handgun, district spokeswoman Krista Noonan told The Bee.
Once the student was identified, security staff quickly confronted the youth and confiscated the gun. Noonan said the gun was real, not a replica, and she said, “I can confirm the weapon had a loaded clip, but there was no ammunition in the actual chamber.”
Everything happened very quickly, so the school never was on lockdown, Noonan said. Modesto police responded and removed the weapon and student from campus.
The Modesto Police Department said the student is a juvenile male who was booked into juvenile hall and faces charges of bringing a gun onto campus and carrying a concealed gun. The student’s exact age was not released.
Principal David Sanchez sent a message to Downey families that read, in part, “Earlier this morning, our campus security team received anonymous reports that a Downey student was in possession of a weapon. After further investigation, the individual was promptly detained by our School Security team, and the weapon was safely confiscated and removed from their possession. The Modesto Police Department was immediately contacted, and officers responded to campus to take next steps in holding the individual accountable.
“I commend those individuals who anonymously reported this concern, as well as our School Security team for their responsible actions in addressing this situation to ensure the safety of all students, teachers, and staff on our campus.”
Noonan added, “We have a motto that if you see something, say something,” and this prime example of students spotting a weapon and being responsible in reporting it is “tremendously helpful.”
Apparently, no threat by the student was made in person or on social media, Noonan said.
This story was originally published May 9, 2022 at 12:06 PM.
