SCHOOLS

Salem elementary student brings unloaded handgun to school

The handgun seized from a Salem elementary school student on Oct. 3, 2018. (Courtesy/Marion County Sheriff’s Office)

A 10-year-old student at Four Corners Elementary School brought an unloaded handgun to school Wednesday afternoon.

Two other students saw the gun in the student’s backpack and reported it to an adult at school, district spokeswoman Lillian Govus said. School staff called the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and multiple deputies responded.

Govus said it was apparent to staff the gun was unloaded and there was no threat to school safety.

“It was a handgun and there was no clip in it,” she said.

The Sheriff’s Office is investigating how and why the student brought a gun to school, but spokesman Lt. Chris Baldridge said no details could be released.

The student is not in police custody, he said. Once the investigation is complete, it will be turned over to Marion County Juvenile Department for review.

Govus said communication by students, who immediately reported the gun, kept the school safe.

“This is exactly how it’s supposed to work,” she said.

Baldridge also praised the student response.

“The slogan ‘See something, say something’ means so much more than words, and these kids absolutely exercised that today,” he said.

Govus said Principal Phil Decker recorded a phone message sent to all Four Corners parents in English and Spanish shortly after the incident.

Decker will be available to talk to parents who have concerns, she said.

Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.