UPDATE – 5:17 p.m., Oct. 2
Two boys, 14 and 15, are accused of first-degree theft and unlawful possession of a firearm related to an incident near West Salem High School last Friday that triggered lockdowns for five schools, according to Polk County Juvenile Director Jodi Merritt.
Original story below:
Police arrested two teenage boys and seized a stolen gun last Friday after reports of an armed student near West Salem High School sent five schools into lockdown.
Authorities have provided few details about the episode, including what school the boys attended or what accusations they are facing in Polk County Juvenile Court.
The boys, 14 and 15, were lodged at the Yamhill County Juvenile Detention Facility, according to Polk County District Attorney Aaron Felton. Polk County often detains youth there under a contract because it doesn’t have its own juvenile facility.
The Salem Police Department and the Salem-Keizer School District received reports on the afternoon of Sept. 27 that “a student with a firearm may be near but outside of West Salem High School,” according the Salem agency said in a statement at the time.
West, Straub Middle School and Kalapuya, Chapman Hill and Harritt elementary schools then went into lockdown.
Classes stopped at West. Students went into classrooms, doors were locked and windows were covered. Such precautions are generally taken when a school is facing a threat outside the building but on or near campus.
Salem officers and Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies went looking for the student as they received reports that the student was on foot near the school. They also assigned canine officers and deployed drones to find the student.
Salem police that day only described one suspect and did not confirm if he was armed. But the agency has since said that two students were involved and confirmed that officers found and seized a stolen firearm.
Nobody was injured at any of the schools, and lockdowns were lifted within 45 minutes Friday.
Salem police spokeswoman Angela Hedrick did not know what school the boys attended but said they were enrolled in the Salem-Keizer district.
Aaron Harada, spokesman for the district, said Wednesday he did not have information about what school the students were enrolled in. He previously declined to provide more detail about Friday’s incidents, referring questions to police.
Hedrick declined to provide additional details about the incident, including what the boys are accused of. After a youth has a preliminary hearing – the juvenile equivalent of an arraignment – she said such information has to come from prosecutors.
Felton said his office does not comment on pending litigation, “especially in a juvenile case.”
Rich Robison, probation officer supervisor for the Polk County Juvenile Department, did not immediately respond to a voice message seeking to clarify the accusations that the boys are facing.
RELATED COVERAGE:
UPDATE: Report of armed student outside West Salem HS prompts lockdown
Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
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Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered criminal justice and housing for Salem Reporter since September 2021. As an Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has traversed the state. He has done reporting for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.