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A McCall Middle School student was allegedly shown a gun by another student on school grounds, but officials are stressing there is no immediate threat and students are safe.
In a letter to parents, Principal James Lin reported a student had allegedly been shown a gun by another student while in a school bathroom “sometime last week.”
Lin said after learning about the alleged incident, school officials immediately coordinated with the Winchester Police Department as well as Superintendent Dr. Frank Hackett.
“With their assistance, it was determined that no immediate or impending threat to staff and students exists,” wrote Lin. “And the student alleged to have brought the weapon is not currently in school.”
While there is no apparent threat, Lin said in the letter they wanted to inform parents directly about the incident and the actions taken.
“I also want to reassure you that all necessary measures have been implemented to maintain a safe learning environment for your children,” he wrote. “We are committed to the safety of all our students and staff and want to communicate clearly and accurately with parents about safety concerns when they arise.”
Lin said officials are still investigating the situation and will continue to do so in conjunction with the Police Department to address any safety concerns in the school.
Lin thanked those who alerted authorities to the alleged incident, those who have since provided additional information and the Winchester Police Department.
“At this time, I have shared all of the information that state and federal laws regarding student privacy permit me to share,” he wrote. “School staff and I will continue to promptly and proactively address any threat to the safety and well-being of our students and ask that you join us in this effort by speaking with your children about these concerns and the importance of reporting any such matters to the school.”
Speculation is the student in question was a sixth-grader at the school and the weapon shown was a BB gun.
However, neither police nor school officials have confirmed this.
Reactions
While officials have been tight lipped over the incident, parents on the Winchester Residents Facebook page reacted to the news with concern.
One resident called the incident “deeply concerning” and stressed that despite whether or not the student actually brought a firearm to school, “this serves as an important reminder for all residents to ensure that any firearms in their homes are securely locked (ideally in a biometric or combination safe) and that ammunition is stored safely in a separate location.”
Other parents agreed, but some stressed their worries over gun violence reaching into Winchester. One added it was “just a matter of time before it happened here too.”
Still others were angry that it had taken the schools more than a week to inform families, with one adding it was “very irresponsible on the administrative end” and that parents should have been informed the same day.
Parents felt Lin’s letter was “inadequate” and failed to answer any of the questioned they wanted to know, such as what the repercussions would be for the student involved and what protocols were in place to keep students safe.
One parent added their child had been so frightened over the incident that they stayed home from school.
Another parent questioned the use of the word “allegedly” throughout Lin’s email, wanting to know if the incident didn’t occur, why send the email and upset families?
Parents said they were also distressed by the fact that Winchester doesn’t have active shooter drills to help students cope with possibly dangerous situations. One added students aren’t allowed to have cell phones at McCall either so their children were worried about what to do in case something happens.
Overall, confidence in the schools was not high throughout the town’s online community.
“Mr. Lin’s email was not super reassuring to me (days after the alleged event),” said one parent.
