This story was updated with additional information from the Salem-Keizer School District.
Police arrested a teen boy on suspicion of carrying a concealed knife near McKay High School on Monday after school security removed him from campus.
The 16-year-old boy was not a student at McKay or any other district school, said Aaron Harada, Salem-Keizer School District spokesman.
Juvenile court records are generally confidential under state law, and Salem Reporter does not typically identify minors facing charges in juvenile court.
The boy arrived on campus as students were re-entering the school following a fire alarm, which was triggered by someone vaping in a school restroom, the district said in its statement.
“This was immediately reported to our security team and our campus safety members promptly responded. The individual proceeded to leave our campus and a member of our safety team reported that the individual appeared to be in possession of a weapon,” according a school district message sent to McKay families
The school did not go into a lockdown, Harada said. The district contacted Salem police at 12:13 p.m.
As school security escorted the boy off the property, he ran into nearby McKay Park, according to Salem police spokeswoman Angela Hedrick.
Officers found the boy a couple of blocks away near Northeast Beverly Avenue and Northeast Lancaster Drive “with a knife on his person,” Hedrick said.
She said she did not know what type of knife the boy carried but described it as “a large knife.”
Police detained the boy and transported him to the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center on accusations of carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct.
“Although we do not have additional information to share, what we can share is that the actions of our staff, and the strong relationships our team has established with our students were key in recognizing the security concern and responding to maintain a safe campus for our students and staff,” the school district said in its message to families.
The incident is the third this school year where McKay has informed families about a possible school threat involving a weapon.
On Oct. 4, the school briefly went into a lockdown with students barricading themselves inside classrooms after a report of a student with a gun at school. Police responded and detained a boy who did not have a gun.
The following Monday, Oct. 7, a student was arrested at McKay after a routine bag search turned up a gun.
The school is due to get weapon detectors this school year, district leaders announced, following a pilot of the systems at South Salem High School.
The district asked anyone with school safety concerns to immediately contact the school, report it to law enforcement, or use SafeOregon to make a confidential report by calling or texting 844-472-3367. Tips also can be emailed to [email protected] or submitted on the SafeOregon app.
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.