Criminal charges filed against student who brought loaded gun to Washington HS
Marek Mazurek
SOUTH BEND — A student who police say brought a loaded gun into Washington High School on Thursday now faces a felony weapons possession charge as a result of the incident.
The student, a 16-year-old boy, was charged Friday with unlawful carrying of a handgun after the school staff allegedly found a Smith & Wesson handgun in his backpack. The school's resource officer searched the teenager's backpack after he and another student reportedly got into a fight.
According to newly filed court documents, Washington High School's resource officer was alerted by school staff about a fight between two students in a school restroom and came to break up the altercation. After the fight was stopped, a school "security staff member" searched the boy's locker and found a book bag. The security staffer "grabbed" the book bag and felt what they believed to be a firearm, court documents say.
Gun fired on school bus:Police arrest one juvenile for criminal recklessenss
The resource officer then searched the bag and found a loaded Smith & Wesson 9 mm handgun, court documents say. Police said the backpack belonged to a different student, but the boy asked to borrow it earlier that day, saying he would return it after school.
Though Indiana residents are no longer required to have a license in order to carry a handgun, minors are not allowed to possess firearms, nor are they allowed on school property.
The fact that the situation unfolded on school property is also legally significant because bringing a gun onto school grounds is a felony offense under state law. Due to the felony charge, the student will go through adult, or superior, court as a separate state law stipulates that juvenile courts don't have jurisdiction over minors 16 or older who are charged with felony weapons possession violations.
If convicted of the offense as charged, the student faces between one and six years in prison. Because of the nature of the charges and the age of the boy, The Tribune is not naming the student.
The incident at Washington High School marks the second time this week a South Bend schools student has been arrested. On Tuesday, police responded to reports that a gun was fired on a school bus taking students home from Jackson Middle School. Police said one round was fired, though no one was hurt, and arrested a juvenile in connection to that incident.
Email Tribune staff writer Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@sbtinfo.com.