HELENA — A loaded gun was found in the backpack of a CR Anderson student in Helena on Tuesday, April 23, 2024.
Abigail Buck — a parent of a seventh-grade student at CR Anderson — feels the situation was not handled correctly by the school or the district.
“There was no lockdown done even though there was a loaded weapon in a kid’s position. I wish they would have, so that way everything else could have been searched to make sure there was not anything extra,” said Buck.
In a letter sent to parents that night, the District said the gun was found during a search of a student’s property.
School leaders said the search was initiated because the student appeared intoxicated. Once the weapon was found it was immediately secured by the School Resource Officer.
"The juvenile did not brandish the weapon on school grounds nor did the juvenile make in-person threats to another student," said Helena Police in a release.
CR Anderson’s principal sent a letter to parents immediately following the incident and parents across the District were notified later in the evening.
According to HPD, the male student was placed in the care of his guardian that night and then was arrested on Wednesday morning and sent to a secure facility.
Following the incident, Buck gave her daughter another layer of protection in case of a repeat situation.
“I got here a bulletproof insert and she now carries this in her binder every day. It sits in there to keep her protected,” Buck said.
Helena Public Schools made emotional support resources available to CR Anderson students and staff the following day.
