School safety is no joke; let your kids know
The pictured orange and grey air gun was seized as evidence on Tuesday, June 7, after a juvenile was caught after striking several students at The Dalles Middle School. What seems harmless is taken quite seriously these days given the high sensitivity to school security. It might be worth a discussion with your children to let them understand the stakes of pranks such as this in our current environment.
By Tom Peterson
A juvenile shooting an airsoft gun on Tuesday, June 7, at The Dalles Middle School is facing some pretty intense charges as police and charging authorities are taking no chances when it comes to student safety in our charged environment.
“Tensions are high right now, and any call like this is getting high sensitivity,” said The Dalles Police Chief Tom Worthy. “Anytime we get a call about the security of our schools it is going to get extra attention.”
We’ve all been young and made mistakes, no doubt, but children and youths might not understand the levity of what seems like a harmless action. So, it is important to talk it through with kids so they understand that their idea of fun might land them in pretty hot water. With the last day of school set for Friday, June 10, at TD Schools, parents might do well by having a quick discussion with their children about when jokes turn bad.
“I think our advice to parents is to speak with their kids about the seriousness of gun threats or any threats around school,” he said. “There’s no joking or clowning around on this matter. Our response on Tuesday demonstrates the high sensitivity.”
On Tuesday, June 7th at about 1:17 p.m., the City of The Dalles Police Department received a call of an individual dressed in dark clothing shooting an airsoft-type gun towards students at The Dalles Middle School.
Officers, who were coincidentally providing a lock-down drill at Dry Hollow Elementary, were able to quickly respond and identify the juvenile responsible and detained him for investigation.
The pictured orange and grey air gun was seized as evidence.
Legal process paperwork was served to the individual for Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree, Reckless Endangering and Harassment.
Several Middle School students were struck by projectiles, however, no injuries were reported.
Fortunately, the school was not placed in lockdown/out since the individual departed the area and police were quickly able to respond and control the scene.
“We want people to understand that schools must be made safe places for our kids to grow and learn,” Worthy said.
