Madison High School Student In Police Custody ; School Shooting Averted After Parents Discovered Weapons Missing
A 17-year-old male student was arrested at James Madison High School in Texas today after three loaded weapons and a knife were found on campus, North East Independent School District spokeswoman Aubrey Chancellor told KSAT News. Two handguns were found in the young man’s back pack and an AK-47 was discovered in a bathroom at James Madison High School. The student also brought a 12-inch knife to school with him.
Days after mass shooting warning, AK-47 found hiding in Texas school http://t.co/3WJgyYTw2r
— Chron Breaking News (@ChronBreaking) April 28, 2014
The parents woke up and found their son not at home this morning according to the Madison High School spokeswoman. After that, they checked their house for weapons and discovered three guns missing. The parents called Madison High School officials immediately and the school was put on lockdown just after 10 o’clock this morning while police conducted an investigation. The lockdown at Madison High was called off around noon. Classes continued, but many parents chose to pick their children up from school early.
Parents still picking up students at Madison High School. pic.twitter.com/WZ82gdCwRm — Jacqueline Ortiz (@News4Jacqueline) April 28, 2014
The police have not released the student’s name, but it is anticipated that he will be charged as an adult according to KENS5 News in San Antonio, Texas. School officials say that he will be charged for a terrorism threat and possession of weapons in a prohibited area. The boy’s parents met with their son and James Madison High administrators this morning, at which point the young man admitted to hiding the AK-47 in the bathroom after his parents asked him where the third weapon that was missing from the home was. The student said he was planning on hijacking the announcement intercom system with a list of demands. He said that if his demands were not met, he planned violent repercussions towards the school. It was not stated what the demands were or how much violence the young man planned. In addition to the AK-47, the James Madison High School student also had a 45-caliber and a.22 caliber, Chancellor said. The student was carrying additional magazines in his backpack.
One parent in the district told Inquisitr, “I’m glad that his parents and authorities worked quickly to diffuse the situation, but this, combined with the incident that happened last week, does make me fearful to send my children to school. I don’t feel like they’re safe there anymore.”
Parents were already unsure of their children’s safety are still raw from last week’s violent hoax, especially after hearing the news of the Connecticut stabbing death of a high school student on Friday. Freshman Katie Hunt, 15, told mySA News that she and her entire class spent almost an hour in a supply closet during the ordeal. Hunt said the students were on their phones text messaging their loved ones the whole time.
The school spokesperson told the media, “It appears that this person acted alone and there is no reason to believe that there are any other suspects.” The school system dealt with threats of violence already all last week after an email warned of threats to all San Antonio schools. A letter that went home to James Madison High School student’s parents today said that “an increased police presence is still in effect.”
[Photo via Twitter]
