A 14-year-old student brought a weapon to school Monday, Dr. Tim Baker, assistant principal, confirmed.
Senior Jackson Gysbers said the boy showed him the weapon, a traditional Japanese sword, during their 4A advisory class.
“He had a really big jacket, and he had it in the jacket,” Gysbers, who is a senior mentor, said. “I noticed it right when he walked in because his jacket was [very] long.”
Trying to keep everyone calm, Gysbers sat with the freshman and texted his fellow senior mentor, who was also in the classroom, to notify administration.
“I can’t say much, but I can confirm that we had a weapons incident [Monday],” Dr. Baker said. “No threat was made. It was a simple possession, and it was a juvenile, which means I can’t expand on any information.”
Although unaware of this particular incident, Dr. Lisa Nieuwenhuizen, assistant principal, is familiar with weapons confiscations and said there is a fine line between a utility knife and a sword.
“In normal situations, when no threat is being made, if someone is not brandishing the weapon, the district policy, which is posted on all of our doors … [requires the] administrator to make contact, the weapon to be secured and the resource officer to be notified,” Dr. Nieuwenhuizen said.
Additional reporting by Emily Oba, Cam Fuller, Rochita Ghosh and Maddie Murphy