Gun Found At High School In Santa Clara, 2 Students Arrested
SANTA CLARA (BCN) – A handgun was found by police at New Valley High School in Santa Clara, leading to the arrests of two students on Thursday.
At about 10 a.m., two students were involved in a fight that was separated by staff. This is when staff noticed one of the students hand over an object, believed to be a gun, to a bystander, according to an email sent to parents at 2 p.m. by the Santa Clara Unified School District.
The two students who fought and the bystander, also a student, were taken to the school office while police arrived at the campus.
The district said police arrived within three minutes, conducted a search of the students and located a handgun.
Subsequently, two students were arrested, as bringing a weapon to campus is against the law.
"The situation was handled quickly and safely," the district wrote in an email, "and the school resumed normal operations by 10:30 a.m."
Students were in class at the time of the fight and remained there while the police did their search and arrested the students, the district wrote.
The district used the case to remind parents of not only the consequences of bringing a gun, which can lead to an arrest or expulsion; but also the mental health resources available to students and their families.
"News such as this can cause heightened anxiety, especially in the wake of the recent mass shooting in Michigan," the district wrote to parents. "While we have security measures in place and a strong partnership with our local law enforcement and school staff, we cannot underestimate the toll we all play in keeping our school safe."
They directed students who may have been impacted by the case to utilize CareSolace -- an online resource with a live, multilingual care concierge to help connect people with counseling services.
Students and parents can also reach out to their school site for a wellness check-in with the district's clinical staff.
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