Trending
AUSTINTOWN -- Police and school officials said a local student has been arrested after bringing a gun to an off-campus building.
A news release from the Austintown Local School District states that teachers and administrators at the Lynn Kirk building were made aware Monday morning of a student with a weapon.
"Staff immediately responded in accordance with established safety protocols, and the Austintown Police Department was contacted. Officers responded swiftly, and the student was safely escorted from the building by law enforcement," the statement reads.
Austintown Police Lt. Jeff. Churilla said the 17-year-old student has been taken to the Mahoning County Juvenile Justice Center.
While the building was placed on temporary lockdown, district spokesperson Brittany Morell said the weapon was never brandished and nobody was threatened or harmed.
She said another student saw the weapon and immediately reported it.
Churilla said a full report on the incident will be publicly available today.
Lynn Kirk, which is located on Evelyn Road, away from the main school campus, serves as home to the district's online program.
Superintendent Tim Kelty said the building provides a strictly online classroom and another blended classroom for students who take both online and in-person instruction.
Kelty said the district has not yet been able to identify how the student brought the gun into the building. He said the district will take the opportunity to reassess its security measures.
"We're always evaluating everything, positive and negative, so we will be taking a look at this," he said.
The district does not have metal detectors in place at its doors, but Kelty said incidents like this are irregular because of the security measures Austintown does use.
"We don't (have these occurrences) because we have a very good deterrent in our community, and that is the Austintown Police Department," he said. "We have a director of security, a cruiser on campus, and officers in all buildings. We're very confident in being secure."
Director of Security Kathy Dina is a former detective sergeant with the department and maintains close ties. The school district also recently came to an agreement with Austintown Township officials to share in the cost of bulk unleaded fuel purchases, and allow police cruisers to fill up at the district's fuel tank at a reduced rate. The exchange also gives the main campus more police presence.
Kelty said the district will evaluate the situation at Lynn Kirk school.
"We want to handle it at the building level," he said. "We will check to see if all protocols and procedures were done properly, which my understanding is they were. We're going to do what's necessary for the safety and security of our students and staff.”
Kelty said he is proud of the teachers, staff and the students for handling the situation so well.
"I want to assure parents everything was handled as it should be. I also hope they continue to have conversations with their children about speaking up if they see something. That's what happened here today," he said.
The Austintown Fitch High School student handbook states the district’s policy on gun possession on campus clearly:
“Bringing a firearm…on school property or to any school-sponsored activity, competition, program, or event, regardless of where it occurs, or possession of a firearm at such locations will result in a mandatory one (1) year expulsion under Ohio law.”