A student was arrested Friday for taking a loaded gun to a San Jose middle school campus, police said.
This happened at Herbert Hoover Middle School on Park Avenue.
Police said there was no evidence that the student intended to commit a crime, but the juvenile was arrested and the gun was seized.
“It’s scary, you know?” said a parent. “First thing, you worry about the safety of the kids.”
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Police say it is unclear what the child's motive was for bringing the gun to school. They say there did not appear to be any imminent danger or a specific plan to shoot anyone.
But they stress that simply bringing the gun to campus raises the possibility that something horrific could happen.
“Any time there’s a weapon involved, there’s always the potential for something bad happening,” said Stacie Shih of the San Jose Police Department.
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The principal sent an email to parents Friday afternoon, saying there was an incident involving a student on campus that was resolved quickly and safely.
The letter said the school day would proceed as normal, but did not directly reference a gun.
It did say police would stay on campus for the rest of the day.
“What type of measures are they taking to protect the kids here? How could a kid just walk up on a school with a gun and not be detected? How did he get inside?” said a parent. “That’s scary for a parent.”
Officers said they've seen an increase in weapons on school campuses in recent years.
As the investigation continues, prosecutors are likely to focus on where the gun came from and how it ended up in the hands of a child.
That could mean charges for the student's parents.
“That’ll be the next step to determine how the student got ahold of the firearm,” said Shih. “We can't say for certain if it was the parents or not but it's part of the process.”
The San Jose Unified School District released the following statement on Friday evening:
"Earlier today, we had an incident at Hoover Middle involving a student. Students reported to administrators that a student had a weapon on campus. The administration immediately contacted the San José Police Department and was able to secure the situation safely and quickly without incident.
San José Unified is working with SJPD as they continue their investigation. In addition, our counseling team is on site to provide support to students and staff at Hoover Middle.
The safety of our students and employees is our top priority. Incidents like these are unsettling for students, families, and employees. If your child would like to talk about the incident today, please have them reach out to their school counselor or an administrator.
The safety of our schools requires the diligence of students, families, and staff. Students saw something that wasn’t right and said something to adults on campus. We appreciate the diligence of our community in keeping our schools safe."
