Published: October 10, 2008 10:18 am      

Boy takes handgun to school

ELKHART, Ind. — An Elkhart eighth-grader was arrested and detained after a handgun was discovered in his locker at West Side Middle School Thursday.

A 13-year-old eighth grade boy reportedly took a gun to the school and placed it in his locker Thursday morning. Another student learned of the presence of the gun and informed a teacher, who told the school principal and the principal investigated.

The principal took the student to the locker and the gun was found in a backpack there, according to Elkhart Police Lt. Ed Windbigler. The teen-ager was arrested on a charge of possession of the gun and held in juvenile detention. He reportedly told the principal he brought the gun to school to give to another student for protection, after a recent neighborhood incident.

“The gun was brought to school relating to an incident in the community, not in the school,” stressed Mark Mow, Elkhart schools superintendent.

Mow added that school policy requires a recommendation for expulsion of not less than one calendar year anytime a student has a firearm on school grounds.

The boy was expected to appear in juvenile court today, Windbigler said.

A letter detailing the Thursday incident was sent home with all West Side students that afternoon.