May 11—A 14-year-old student was arrested following the evacuation of Reading’s Northwest Middle School late Thursday morning for reports of a student with a loaded gun in the school.
The male student is being charged with possession of a firearm by a minor and possession of a weapon on school property, police said.
School police were informed of a student with a gun on the premises. School officers immediately located and detained the student without incident, police said.
City police were called to the school about 10:30 a.m. and the school was placed on lockdown, officials said, adding that it wasn’t an active shooter scenario.
Police arriving at the scene met with school officers, recovered the gun, took custody of the student, and assisted with an evacuation.
The building was evacuated so police could conduct a thorough search of the school, said Kristine Parkes, school district communications director.
Fifth- and sixth-graders were ushered to nearby Riverfront Elementary School, and seventh- and eighth-graders went to nearby St. Margaret’s School.
Parents were instructed to reunite with their children at those locations.
All after-school extracurricular activities were canceled, and an afternoon concert will be rescheduled, Parkes said.
In a press release Thursday evening, Police Chief Richard Tornielli said incidents involving weapons being brought to district schools are extremely concerning.
“Fortunately, these incidents were reported and investigated quickly, which prevented a potentially more serious and tragic incident from occurring,” Tornielli said. “Firearms and violence have no place in our community and especially in our schools, which should be safe places for children to learn.”
He urged parents and students to inform police or school officials of any information about potential acts of violence or possession of weapons in schools.
“We must continue to come together as a community and make efforts to stop our young people from carrying firearms,” Mayor Eddie Moran said in the press release. “Safety starts at home. Let’s be vigilant with our own children and those around us because responsibility cannot rest solely on elected officials and law enforcement. We must work together, hand-in-hand, to create a secure environment for our children to grow and thrive in.”
Moran urged parents to monitor their children’s online presence, build a community with other parents and teachers, communicate concerns, and report suspicious activity to law enforcement.
Information related to potential incidents that impact school safety can be reported to the Reading Police Department at 610-655-6116 or anonymously through the Safe to Say Something program at 1-844-SAF2SAY. A Safe to Say Something application that can be downloaded at www.safe2saypa.org.