EMMAUS, Pa. — An Emmaus High School student was found Wednesday to have a loaded firearm in his school bag at the building and will face felony charges in juvenile court, officials said.
East Penn School District officials confiscated the gun without incident, school officials said in an email to parents.
That was later confirmed in a statement from Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan and Emmaus Police Deputy Chief Bryan Hamscher.
"At no time during the recovery was the weapon brandished, nor were any threats made toward students or staff."Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan and Emmaus Police Deputy Chief Bryan Hamscher, in an email
The email said that at 10:20 a.m. Wednesday, "during an administrative search of a student's belongings, school officials discovered a loaded firearm inside a student's school bag."
The gun is a 9mm semi-automatic pistol that authorities said appears to be a so-called “ghost gun” because it was not sold through the normal course of firearms commerce and does not have a serial number.
The district email said "the weapon was immediately secured by the school's School Resource Officer without incident."
It further said that "at no time during the recovery was the weapon brandished, nor were any threats made toward students or staff."
'Quick action'
The student was taken into custody by local law enforcement, Holihan and Hamscher said in their statement.
The email said the gun was discovered "while conducting a search pursuant to an unrelated incident." It gave no further detail.
"While the news is unsettling, we are grateful for the quick action of our staff and the partnership of our local police department."East Penn School District email to parents and employees
The email said the school "is following all district disciplinary protocols in accordance with state law and our code of conduct."
"At this point, it does not appear that anyone else was involved in the possession of the firearm," Holihan and Hamscher's release said.
It said no further information would be released by them at this time.
State law requires schools to notify parents/guardians and employees whenever staff responds to an incident involving a weapon on school property.
"While the news is unsettling, we are grateful for the quick action of our staff and the partnership of our local police department."
The email said it is making its school counseling team available for students who may feel anxious or need to want to talk.
