A 14-year-old male’s bag was discovered to contain a loaded 9mm Glock handgun at Bloomington High School South Thursday afternoon, according to Bloomington Police Lt. Lucas Tate.
A teacher found the bag unattended, and opened it to see who it belonged to, and discovered the handgun. Glock was loaded but there was no round in the chamber. A second magazine was found with the gun in the bag.
There was no note, or indication the student planned to use the weapon.
According to Tate, the high school then followed their protocol and alerted a school resource officer, who then called the police. The male’s parents were called. Police responded to the school around 12:39 p.m.
The 14-year-old suspect has been referred to juvenile detention and will be charged with a level 6 felony for possession of a gun on school grounds. The gun belonged to the suspect’s parent.
The BHSS principal Mark Fletcher sent the following e-mail to parents yesterday:
“We wanted to provide some communication regarding a situation at Bloomington South today involving a school safety concern.
A gun in a student’s bag was discovered in a classroom by a teacher. The student who brought the gun to school has been recommended for expulsion in accordance with Indiana State Law for possession of a firearm on school property.
The weapon was never used in a threatening manner, and school staff followed all safety protocols. We also appreciate the professional support from the Bloomington Police
Department.
While this communication is something that we have never had to put out before, we understand the importance of appropriate communication with you. Please know we are continuing our important work in providing a high quality learning environment where our students feel
safe and supported.
Thanks, Mark A. Fletcher”
