McKeesport School Officials Stepping Up Security After 2 Students Arrested For Having Gun On Bus
Follow KDKA-TV: Facebook | Twitter
MCKEESPORT (KDKA) -- The superintendent of McKeesport Area School District said he's making safety is his number one priority following an incident where two of the district's students were caught passing a gun on a school bus.
He said he's sending a letter home with all of the students so parents know what exactly happened, and how the district plans on dealing with safety moving forward.
The incident happened on Monday when two teens were allegedly spotted with a gun on the school bus. The district was initially contacted after someone spotted the video on social media.
In the video, the 16-year-old boy is seen with the gun out on the bus. The investigation uncovered, through surveillance video, that the teen got on the bus after school dismissed for the day.
Police said a 15-year-old boy was also involved.
Police determined he did not go to school that day, but got on school property during dismissal and then boarded the same bus the 16-year-old was on.
Investigators say they believe the 15-year-old brought the gun with him at dismissal. Video surveillance confirms that teen was never inside the school building. Police were able to make the determination that the gun was handed between the two students during the alleged incident.
Both teens were arrested Tuesday and are charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a minor and one count of possession of a weapon on school property. They were taken to Shuman center.
The district released this statement on Facebook on Tuesday:
"We were notified of a potentially dangerous situation that occurred on a high school bus, yesterday after dismissal. The report was made today regarding a weapon on the bus. Within the last hour, we have completed our investigation along with the McKeesport Police. All further matters regarding this incident will be handled through their department."
The superintendent would not comment on how the students will be disciplined.