CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A 16-year-old student of Loyd C. Bird High School is being held at a juvenile detention center after police say he brought a loaded magazine onto school grounds on Monday.
According to an email sent out to families, a school fight prompted a police investigation that eventually led to the discovery of the weapon.
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“This was brought to the attention of school administrators after a fight occurred this morning,” wrote Adrienne Blanton, the principal at the high school. “This disruption briefly delayed our scheduled class change while the Chesterfield Police assisted with our investigation.”
Chesterfield police said the student allegedly lifted up his shirt and flashed a gun in his waistband during the altercation. The reported firearm was not located, however, the loaded magazine was.
The juvenile was reportedly petitioned for assault and battery, possession of a firearm on school property and possession of a concealed weapon on school property. He was then taken to a juvenile detention center.
Some parents 8News spoke with expressed concerns about the communication timeline.
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“If the cops are being called to my child’s school, I would like to be notified,” said Erika Martinez, to an LC Bird parent. “Between 8:20 and 11 the situation was happening, and parents don’t find out until 2?”
According to Chesterfield County Schools, the email alert to parents was sent out at 2 pm which is about an hour before school ends. However, Martinez said when she arrived at the school around 11 am, the police were already there.
“When I got to the school there were two police cars out front and another one in the parking lot,” she said. “At this point, I still had no idea what was going on.”
After sending school leaders a list of questions, 8News received the same email response that was sent to parents. Martinez, still shaking up a day later, said she’s hopeful this would be handled better in the future.
“I just worry about my child,” she said.
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The full statement from LC Bird High School can be read below:
Dear Parents and Guardians:
Maintaining a safe, supportive and nurturing learning environment remains one of the primary goals of Bird High School. Working with parents and our community, we are confident we can continue to provide a school setting free from distraction and disruption.
We continue to remind students that with very limited exceptions, items that can be considered weapons are not allowed on school property or in vehicles on school property. There are potentially serious school discipline and police/legal consequences for students who do not follow the law.
We also will continue to share with students the importance of letting an adult know if something is wrong. Our students already understand this, as demonstrated earlier when it was shared that a magazine with ammunition was on school property. This was brought to the attention of school administrators after a fight occurred this morning. This disruption briefly delayed our scheduled class change while the Chesterfield Police assisted with our investigation.
Parents, please help us reinforce this message … Even if a student were to bring something to school by mistake, they could face serious consequences that could include suspension, expulsion or time in the juvenile detention center.
As we do continually throughout the year, we are reminding students today about expectations for their behavior. Please help us reinforce those expectations tonight with your children. Please let me know if you have any questions.
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