TOOELE, Utah — Police are investigating after they say a 12-year-old student at Clarke Johnsen Junior High School brought a gun to school for several days.
Officers originally responded to a call from the junior high on Monday morning after one of their school resource officers received a call about a 12-year-old girl student who had a handgun, according to Lt. Jeremy Hansen, public information officer for the Tooele Police Department.
Lt. Hansen said, when the officer arrived at the school, he met with the principal and learned that another student saw the girl with the gun on Oct. 28 while walking home.
The student told her mother, who reported it to the principal Monday morning.
The girl was called into the principal’s office and asked about the gun. She admitted she still had it in her backpack, Hansen said.
The gun was then taken by school administrators and the Tooele City Police were called, who then took the gun and booked it into evidence.
Lt. Hansen said the girl took the gun from her parents without their knowledge.
Lt. Hansen told FOX 13 that there was no indication that the girl had intent to use the gun.
Charges against the 12-year-old are being referred to juvenile court for possession of a dangerous weapon by a minor, a Class B Misdemeanor, and possession of a dangerous weapon on or around school premises, a Class A Misdemeanor.
“The Tooele City Police Department would like to remind parents to ensure all firearms are secure inside their homes,” Lt. Hansen said. “If parents do not have a way to secure their firearms, the police department has free gun locks available. We would also like parents to speak with their students about the potential consequences of taking weapons onto school grounds. The police department takes school safety very seriously and we want it to be a safe environment for learning. If students see or hear something of this nature, they can report it to the school administration, a teacher, to a school resource officer, or anonymously on the SafeUT app.”
