PUEBLO, CO — An alert teacher is credited with stopping a dangerous situation, after she quickly contacted the school resource officer at Roncalli STEM Academy, when she learned that a student brought a gun to class.
Dalton Sprouse, a spokesman for Pueblo School District 60, told reporters that the staff and students are trained that if they see something, to say something.
"Nobody wants anything bad to happen in school and that's why we're so pleased today that our teacher was so vigilant and took the immediate and appropriate actions," Sprouse said.
Sgt. Frank Ortega, Public Information Officer with the Pueblo Police Department, explained that the student was arrested without incident.
"They just contacted the person, secured the weapon, and handcuffed the student," Sgt. Ortega said.
The school was placed on lockdown for approximately 35 minutes so that officers could search the building for any other possible threats.
"We're so fortunate that they were able to, as always, respond so quickly to our needs," Sprouse said of the police response.
Ortega described the weapon as a nine-millimeter handgun. It had bullets, but it lacked a serial number, and manufacturer's stamp suggesting that the weapon was a "ghost gun."
"So, that's part of the investigation we're trying to make a determination, where he obtained this firearm and how he had it at the school," Ortega explained.
The juvenile suspect was booked into the Pueblo Youth Center on charges of Possession of a Handgun by a Juvenile, a Class 2 Misdemeanor, and Possession of a Weapon on School Grounds, a Class 6 Felony.
Ortega explained that the misdemeanor charge carries a mandatory hold. Investigators do not believe that the student had made any threats or planned to harm people at the school.
"The initial information we have is the student had this firearm for protection," Sgt. Ortega said. "So, there was no specific intent of a school shooting or anything to that effect."
If you have any information about this incident, please contact Pueblo Police Dispatch at (719) 553-2502.
To remain anonymous, contact Pueblo Crime Stoppers @ 542-STOP (542-7867) or go online.
If your Crime Stoppers information leads to a felony arrest, you could be eligible for a cash reward.
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