Ashley High School and two other schools on its campus went into a shelter-in-place Thursday afternoon.
According to WECT, the underage student was being searched for drugs when the gun was located. The student ran and tried to throw away the gun, but law enforcement found it.
Superintendent Dr. Charles Foust said in a press conference that the district would be “more aggressive” in schools to address this starting immediately. He said there will be a law enforcement dog in most of the schools to search for drugs and weapons.
“If you know of a weapon that is in the schools, we’re going to be pushing that you are held just as accountable for the person who brings it into the school," he said.
Board Chair Pete Wildeboer said the district might be unable to implement metal detectors because many schools have a lot of exit doors.
Wildeboer also asked that staff and community members look for warning signs and notify law enforcement when there’s a problem.
“It’s going to take the whole community working together to improve this situation," he said.
Wildeboer also said the district wants financial support to deal with these safety issues.
