COLUMBUS, Ohio — A 14-year-old boy is charged after allegedly bringing a firearm to East High School Wednesday morning, according to the Columbus Division of Police.
Officers were called to the 1500 block of East Broad Street at approximately 11:36 a.m. for a report of a student that was spotted by surveillance cameras hiding a firearm. Security and school personnel detained the student and had taken the handgun, a Glock semi-automatic pistol, from the teen by the time officers arrived.
Officers on the scene found the handgun to be unloaded, police say.
The teen was interviewed by police where he admitted to bringing the gun to school and hiding it from school staff.
According to police, the teen is charged with illegal possession and conveying firearms into a school safety zone.
Director of Communications for Columbus City Schools Jacqueline Bryant offered the following statement to 10TV:
"Columbus City Schools has a Zero Tolerance policy on possession of any weapon. Students will face disciplinary actions, including the potential of suspension or expulsion if found to be in possession of any item deemed potentially dangerous to themselves or others in a school environment. We need families to have thoughtful, age-appropriate conversations about gun violence and warnings about what is unacceptable to bring to school. Our schools greatest safety resource is the strong relationships between our students, families, staff, and safety teams. We encourage anyone - student, family members, or staff who has a safety-related concern to "See Something, Say Something" by sharing information with a trusted adult. They can also call or text our 24-hour hotline to report a safety threat to any of our school or students. The number is 844-SAFER-OH."