PARK TOWNSHIP, Mich. – The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office says the 17-year-old suspected of bringing a handgun to West Ottawa High School on Thursday morning will be arraigned on multiple charges.
Captain Mark Bennett says those include Possession of a Stolen Firearm, Carrying a Concealed Weapon, and Violation of a Pistol-Free Zone.
West Ottawa High School went on lockdown around 10:30 a.m. Thursday, after sheriff’s deputies were contacted by the School Resource Office about a student possibly in possession of a gun. Police say the student later was taken into custody by deputies and a school-resource officers, “without incident”, and they found the student did have a small-caliber handgun on him.
The Sheriff’s Office says the student is in the Ottawa County Jail, awaiting the formal charges. The suspect will be identified after the arraignment, according to police.
No shots were fired and no one was injured.
Detectives said Thursday the student’s motive in having the gun was not immediately clear.
The West Ottawa Schools sent a notice to parents saying that the school was back to normal operating procedures at about 11:20 a.m. Thursday. And that everyone, including other students, acted properly – and should continue to report such incidents right away.
The sheriff’s department also says that all procedures for this kind of incident were followed “very well” by the school.
