A 15-year-old student was arrested on Friday morning after bringing a gun to Wilson High School, as confirmed by both the police and school officials.
The Long Beach Police Department has confirmed that there were no shots fired and no injuries reported in the incident. Nonetheless, a large number of worried parents gathered outside the school in response to a notification from the Long Beach Unified School District about a lockdown on campus. The notification, however, provided limited information regarding the situation.
Around 10:50 a.m., the police were informed that a student at the school was in possession of a firearm.
According to a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the suspect was already being detained by LBUSD school safety personnel when the officers arrived.
In a statement, Principal Suzanne Caverly informed that after conducting a comprehensive search of the campus, authorities were able to locate a firearm and subsequently arrested the student.
The reason behind the student bringing the gun to campus remains unclear. Parents and students are speculating about a possible motive, sharing a photo on social media that allegedly depicts a boy flaunting a loaded magazine and a weapon. There are suggestions that this incident might be connected to a previous altercation between students. However, the police have yet to confirm these claims as they continue their investigation.
Parents rushed to the school in a panic as their children sought safety in their classrooms.
Isabel Anaya, a parent, received a text from her son at 11:11 a.m., informing her that they were on lockdown and it was not a drill.
Shortly after, she received a notification from the district informing her that Wilson High School had been placed on a “precautionary lockdown due to ongoing law enforcement activity.”
The school assured everyone that all students and staff were safe, but they did not provide any further updates or details.
Upon arriving at the school, Anaya recounted how a police officer reassured the anxious crowd gathered outside by informing them that there had been no shooting and that a suspect had already been apprehended.
Janet Jimenez, a concerned parent, rushed out of work as soon as her daughter informed her about the school going on lockdown.She expressed her disappointment regarding the district’s failure to promptly inform parents.
Jimenez expressed his concern about the lack of transparency regarding potential threats at the school. He believed that if there was someone with a gun, the school should inform the students. The situation had left him feeling unsettled and considering leaving the district altogether.
The students were allowed to leave for a 30-minute lunch as the lockdown was lifted around 12:45 p.m. Jimenez mentioned that she had decided to take her daughter out of school for the day.
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