Lincoln Elementary School student smuggled a gun into school, police investigate
LINCOLN, Nebraska (Nebraska) — The Lincoln Police Department is investigating an incident in which elementary school student Prescott brought a gun into school on Friday.
Here is the timeline of events as reported during the initial investigation, according to school officials:
- A fifth grade student showed a gun in a backpack to a student and made worried comments about the abuse against the student.
- The student then reported this to his teacher, who immediately called the administrators.
- The administrators removed the backpack from the hangers and brought it to the office. The police were immediately called to the school.
- Since the backpack was immediately zipped up and the situation quickly defused, there was no need to use any of our standard response protocols.
- The policeman actually found a loaded gun in the student’s backpack.
- The families of the students were contacted and the police launched an investigation by talking to the students involved.
- A student who brings a firearm to school will be prosecuted.
Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent Paul Gausman said, “This is a phone call that a superintendent would never want to receive, but I am very proud of our administrators and Prescott staff who remained calm and kept students safe during this incident. These professionals continue to build positive relationships with students, which has led to reports of an unsafe situation. It was courageous on the part of this student to come forward and tell their teacher what they had seen. We are grateful to the Lincoln Police and their quick response to the situation. The Lincoln Police have been a great partner in keeping our schools safe.”
Gausman also said: “Our schools are safe thanks to our community’s ongoing efforts to remain vigilant and share information when concerns arise. We encourage anyone who sees or hears anything of concern to report it immediately so we can continue to provide a safe learning environment for everyone.”
Prescott director J.J. Wilkins stated the following in an email to the families:
“We know it’s about the news. We are very proud of the student who reported safety concerns to his teacher when he felt in danger. It is the important work of our staff at Prescott in building trust with our students that has led to the resolution of this serious situation without harming anyone. We are grateful to the Lincoln Police for their prompt response and their continued cooperation in keeping our students and staff safe.”
Lincoln Public Schools is reminding families that school safety depends on the community and we need your help:
Please remind your student to tell a trusted adult immediately if they see or hear anything that makes them feel unsafe. They may tell a trusted adult at home or school, or they may.
Talk to your child about the dangers of handling weapons without permission or adult supervision. Lincoln Public Schools is taking this opportunity to remind families of the importance of safely storing all guns and ammunition away from children and teens to prevent intentional and unintentional harm. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that the most reliable and effective measure to prevent injury in children and adolescents is to be gun-free. Safe gun storage reduces the risk of injury to a child.
Please help us reinforce the lessons we teach in school about positive peer interaction. We understand that not everyone will always get along, but there are healthy ways to resolve conflicts that don’t involve a physical reaction. We must respect ourselves, our peers, our teachers and our school. We follow directions, respect each other’s space, and engage in positive interactions. Most importantly, we must remember to be kind to each other. Encourage your student to share with adults at school if they have problems with friends or other students. We believe it is important to repair relationships where they have suffered, and we want to help our students do this.
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