HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- A teen is in custody after a loaded gun was found at J.R. Tucker High School on Friday. Henrico Police add that during the investigation, that suspect tried to run.
"The day was normal. Everything was normal. My daughter went to school... Until 4:16 p.m. when I received an automated system call from the school that someone was there with a loaded gun at the school," said parent, Chantel Tyler.
Tyler was one of dozens of parents to learn Friday afternoon of the disturbing incident that unfolded inside J.R. Tucker High School hours earlier.
Henrico Police said high school administrators and school resource officers were on alert after receiving information that a student had a gun on school grounds Friday morning.
Administrators were able to find the student and remove him from class.
While interacting with the student, Henrico Police SRO called into dispatch after the student attempted to run. The boy was then safely taken into custody.
A handgun along with ammunition was located by administrators in his belongings.
The teen, whose name is being withheld because of his age, was being held at the Henrico Juvenile Detention Home, facing multiple charges including the following.
- Possession of a firearm on school grounds,
- Concealed weapon,
- Possession of a firearm by a juvenile, and
- Possession of Marijuana at school.
"It’s most important to commend the community members who stepped up and actually shared this information because really it’s keeping the entire campus and our community safe and it allowed school officials and the school resource officers to work together," Lt. Matthew Pecka, Spokesperson for Henrico Police.
In a message sent out to families Friday afternoon, the J.R. Tucker Principal informed parents of the morning's incident saying open communication with families was a top priority, especially when it comes to matters of safety.
"Please use this as an opportunity to speak with your students about the role we all have in keeping our school safe. If they see or hear about a potential danger to our school, they should report it right away to police or an adult in our building," said Principal Art Raymond.
But a mother of a J.R. Tucker High School student who spoke with CBS 6 Friday, said the message was too little too late. She believed parents should've been notified hours earlier.
"Not later. You need to contact the parents right away," said Chantel Tyler. "That's not fair to me. If I'm sending my child to school, I need to know that my child is safe at all times. And I want to know. And I think it's our right to know as parents."
In a statement, a Henrico Schools spokesperson said police were able to resolve the situation quickly and let school officials know there was no need to lockdown.
"Since the instructional day was not interrupted the decision was made to contact families at the end of the day. If we had been advised by police otherwise— the principal would have contacted families immediately," said Eileen Cox, Spokesperson For Henrico Public Schools.
Police and the Principal added that at this time, there was no known threat against J.R. Tucker High School.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
