Pierce County deputies found a loaded 9mm gun in the teen’s bag.
GRAHAM, Wash. — A 14-year-old boy was arrested and charged after bringing a loaded gun to the first day of school at Graham-Kapowsin High School in Graham.
“This could have been a serious incident if it had not been [sic] from the Campus Safety’s amazing situational awareness and swift actions,” a spokesperson for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “Amazing work by all.”
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office responded to the school Wednesday just after 1 p.m., after the school notified deputies that the boy had a gun.
School staff told deputies that the boy and three other current and former students had been “avoiding and running away” from campus security and staff “all day.”
The boy, who is a student at a junior high school in the Puyallup School District, was found with a loaded 9mm gun, according to probable cause documents. Deputies said the gun had two rounds inside the magazine and one round was loaded in the chamber.
A cellphone that was found with the boy had a picture of him holding the gun on the lock screen, according to documents. The boy also had a balaclava and a bandana.
The boy told deputies he wasn’t planning on shooting anyone, according to documents.
The boy was booked into Remann Hall Pierce County Juvenile Detention Center. He was charged Thursday with first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and possessing dangerous weapons on school facilities.
KING 5 typically does not name juvenile defendants.
The three other current and former Graham-Kapowsin students were also detained.
The boy’s next court appearance is Sept. 3.
