WATERVLIET, NY (NEWS10) – The Watervliet Police Department (WPD) was made aware of safety concerns on Thursday when a Watervliet High School (WHS) student told a school administrator that another student had a BB gun. in his backpack. Police say that through further investigation, it was determined that a WHS student had brought a BB gun onto school grounds.
Upon investigation, WPD School Resource Officer “Tito” Negron immediately responded and secured the BB gun. School officials say that with the help of the school’s resource officer, the backpack was searched and the BB gun was recovered. At no time was the BB gun used to threaten other students or staff, they said.
“We are sending this message home to notify families of a safety issue at Watervliet Jr.-Sr. High School Today,” the WHS administration said. “Rest assured that we are committed to providing a safe learning environment for all of our students. We also know the importance of communicating with families when safety issues arise in our schools.
School officials encourage a discussion of this incident with your children and emphasize that it is illegal to bring any type of weapon to school. Additionally, students are also encouraged to tell a member of staff if they are aware of the presence of weapons, in an ongoing effort to work together to keep their schools safe.
The student will face disciplinary charges in accordance with the district’s code of conduct. The WHS administration would like to thank Officer Negron for acting quickly, as well as the student who brought this incident to the attention of an adult in the building. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the WHS administration or your child’s building manager.
