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 inside the school.
The male student is charged with possession of a firearm by a minor and possession of a weapon on school property, police said.
The school police received a report that a student with a gun was nearby. School officers immediately located the student and detained him without incident, police said.
City police were called to the school around 10:30 a.m. and the school was sealed off, officials said, adding that it was not an active shooting scenario.
Police who arrived at the scene met with school officers, recovered the gun, took the student into custody and assisted in an evacuation.
The building was evacuated so police could conduct a thorough search of the school, said Kristine Parkes, the school district’s communications director.
Fifth and sixth graders were taken to nearby Riverfront Elementary School, and seventh and eighth graders attended nearby St. Margaret’s School.
Parents were ordered to reunite with their children at those locations.
All after-school extracurricular activities have been canceled and an afternoon concert will be rescheduled, Parkes said.
In a press release Thursday evening, Police Chief Richard Tornielli said incidents involving guns being brought into district schools are extremely concerning.
“Fortunately, these incidents were quickly reported and investigated, preventing a potentially more serious and tragic incident,” 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 notify police or school officials of any information about possible acts of violence or gun possession in schools.
“We must continue to work together as a community and work to prevent our youth from carrying firearms,” Mayor Eddie Moran said in the press release. “Security begins at home. Let’s be vigilant for our own children and those around us, because the responsibility cannot rest solely with elected officials and law enforcement. We must work together, hand in hand, to create a safe environment where our children can grow and thrive.”
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 regarding potential incidents affecting school safety can be reported to Reading Police 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.