MISSOULA — Two teenagers were detained Tuesday morning after a student at Sentinel High School reported seeing another student with a gun on school grounds.
The Missoula Police Department reports a student told Sentinel's school resource officer around 9 a.m. that they saw another student with a gun.
The SRO requested assistance from Missoula Police while Sentinel was placed into lockdown.
“Within four minutes of that 911 call, the Missoula police department apprehended a student in the parking lot and then, a few minutes later, another student in a classroom,” said Stephanie Thennis, the principal of Sentinel High School. “A handgun was located in the vehicle of a student on campus.”
Two teenage boys were detained, the firearm was taken into police custody and police searched the school.
“Our protocol, first priority, is to secure the building, make sure that our students and our staff are all safe. Beyond that, I communicate when I can, what I can to our staff, who is right in front of the students,” Thennis said. “In an instance, like today, where I can't get a way to go communicate with our parents and community, our district office does that for us.”
Tuesday morning, the school administration quickly notified Missoula County Public Schools officials of the threat. Neighboring schools were quickly placed in a secure hold. School officials also worked to communicate information to the wider school community as it became available, Thennis said.
“It's really important that we're not putting out information prior, which can create a whole lot more confusion and unease,” she said. “We’re really cautious that what we are getting out to our families is accurate.”
The lockdown was lifted around 10 a.m., when the police determined there was no active threat to the school or the public. Class continued at Sentinel after the incident. Teachers had fact sheets to share accurate information with students.
“We walked around and visited classrooms through the afternoon and checked in with teachers, checked in with the kids, just making sure that one they were all ok. It's emotional,” Thennis said.
While the school community has training to help handle situations like this, Thennis said they are always evaluating safety procedures.
“We try to take the opportunities to reflect. We'll be doing a lot of that,” she said. “Today was a great indication of a best case scenario that could have been something really very, very bad.”
The Missoula Police Department is coordinating with Missoula County Public Schools for the investigation. There is no known threat to the public or other students at this time.
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