Gun Found In Backpack Of Sherwood Middle School Student, 2 More Guns Found In Lockers At Columbus, Ohio Schools

Guns were found in the backpacks of students at Sherwood Middle School in Columbus, Ohio. The principal of the Ohio school received an anonymous tip that at least one student was going to bring a gun to school on Wednesday.

When a Sherwood Middle School parent was dropping off the student the Columbus school principal had been warned about, the administrator and a security officer were there to meet the unidentified middle school student. After the backpack was searched, a loaded 9mm handgun was found, WIVB reports.

The 9mm handgun taken from the backpack was secured, and the student was taken into police custody. A lockdown was ordered as a precaution at Sherwood Middle School. During the lockdown, all the lockers in the building were searched, KSL reports.

“I was finna (fixing to/about) to walk in the gym and they said we’re on lockdown and we had to sit in the gym for like an hour, probably an hour (and) 30 minutes,” seventh-grade student Wesley Armstrong told local reporters.

He added that he did not realize what had prompted the lockdown until after his lunch period. Armstrong and his peers were reportedly nervously waiting to find out what was happening.

“My mom, she had texted me and was like, ‘are y’all okay?'” he explained.

A second gun was found in a locker at the Columbus school during the lockdown. The student assigned to the locker where the handgun was discovered was also taken into police custody.

#UPDATE: Lockdown lifted at Sherwood Middle School on east side. Parents free to pick up kids- http://t.co/VPZhQwAi5Q pic.twitter.com/eKa0ZZw7Ek

— WSYX ABC 6 (@wsyx6) September 2, 2015

“We all went in there. We turned off the computers we sat down and people were talking. I was just really scared,” Ziyanna Armstrong, also a seventh grader, said, noting she knew the lockdown was serious when it was announced the school was moving from a level 2 to a level 3 situation. “They said it was a level 3 and we were in there for a long time already so I knew it was massive.”

The Sherwood Middle School lockdown was not lifted until all the lockers were searched. Parents were sent an automated message to inform them about the situation at the school.

A third gun was found at the nearby Mifflin High School in Columbus later the same day. During the 2014-15 school year, a total of 11 guns were found at schools in the Ohio capital.

The following is an excerpt from a statement about the guns found on three students issued by the Columbus City Schools.

“On Wednesday, September 02, 2015, the administrators at Sherwood Middle School received a ‘tip’ about a student with a firearm heading to Sherwood Middle School. Administrators were able to detain the 13 year old male student and recover a handgun, prior to the student entering the building. Columbus Police School resources officers and investigators responded to the school. During the subsequent lockdown, Columbus Public school security officers observed a second student abandon his backpack and attempt to flee from them. The security personnel recovered the backpack which contained also contained a handgun. The student, a 14 year old male was later identified and taken into custody. Both children were released to the custody of their parents and criminal charges are pending.”

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