A 15-year-old student was arrested Tuesday after a loaded handgun and a knife were found in his bag, according to Delaware State Police.
The Middletown High School student was charged with five felonies after a call from a concerned parent prompted the Delaware State Police School Resource Officer (SRO) and school staff to search his bags, ultimately finding a 9mm handgun and a 4-inch knife.
Officials said a parent reported that the student had displayed a knife he was carrying in a crossbody bag and made threatening statements on Monday.
The following day, at approximately 10:40 a.m., the SRO and school staff approached the student as he arrived at school and immediately escorted him into a nearby empty classroom. When they attempted to take his backpack and crossbody bag, the student refused to hand them over, leading to a struggle.
The SRO and school staff eventually secured both bags and found the handgun and knife inside the student’s crossbody bag.
The 15-year-old was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition by a person under 21, possession of a firearm in a safe school zone, possession of a deadly weapon other than a firearm by a person under 18, and other related charges.
The Appoquinimink School District addressed the incident in a message sent to families, saying in part, “We are actively working with Delaware State Police. We will share more details as soon as they become available. Please know there is no current threat at the school. We want to thank the parent who reported the concern. We also must commend our school teams for their quick efforts today.”
