ROSEVILLE, Minn. — The principal of Roseville Area High School (RAHS) is seeking to reassure parents after two guns were confiscated from students in separate incidents earlier this week.
Both students were charged in Ramsey County Court via juvenile petitions Wednesday, one with possession of a firearm under the age of 18, and the other with gun possession and possessing a firearm with no serial number.
Dr. Jen Wilson sent out a message describing the two incidents, both of which took place Monday. In the first, the RAHS principal said the staff was working to de-escalate a conflict among a group of students when they were told one of those involved had a gun. Wilson says the student's bag was searched, a weapon was found and handed over to a Roseville police officer. That student was detained by authorities.
A juvenile petition filed against the 17-year-old student in Ramsey County says he had an ongoing dispute with another student that involved fights both on and off campus. The gun that was recovered was a .22 caliber pistol that was reported stolen in McCleod County.
Prosecutors say the defendant's girlfriend also told staff members that she knew he was carrying contraband.
In the second incident, Wilson says staff was performing what she called a "routine search" after reports a student was not following school rules. Multiple staffers responded, the incident reportedly moved outside the school and a gun was found and secured. As in the first incident, the student was detained by police.
The juvenile petition against the 16-year-old defendant said he was caught in a bathroom vaping with another student, escorted by staff to another room and told they would be searched. After his friend was searched, the defendant stood up and ran out of the room before his belongings were gone through. Staff chased him as the teen ran out of the school and into a nearby wooded area where he was seen pulling something from his waistband and attempting to bury or hide it. A RAHS staff member recovered a 9mm handgun from the scene. The gun had no serial number, and was loaded with one bullet in the chamber and another 14 live rounds in an extended magazine.
"Based on the context of both situations, a lockdown was not needed to be put into place. We have no reason to believe there are any other weapons involved or on school premises," Dr. Wilson wrote in her message to RAHS families. "From a school perspective, our next step for the students involved will be to follow our disciplinary action, which has a number of potential results up to and including expulsion."
Dr. Wilson says there will be an increased police presence at Roseville Area High School, and a continued staff presence in the hallways "to continue to support students and build relationships." Along with violence prevention efforts come more traditional security measures with secured entrances, emergency response teams and a partnership with Roseville PD.
"In a broader sense, schools are microcosms of our world," Wilson stated in her message. "While there are things we can’t control, we must be as proactive as possible in establishing systems to protect our students and staff."
The principal says the school or district is unable to provide specifics on the identities of the students who were in possession of the weapons or the possible consequences for their actions.
KARE 11 is following this story and will have the latest developments on-air at 4, 5, 6 and 10 p.m.
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