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Alexandria student arrested after gun found in high school

A 14-year-old student was arrested after an unloaded gun was discovered at an Alexandria, Virginia, high school on Monday morning.

According to school officials, a teacher at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus reported that a student had a weapon around 9 a.m. Monday.

Safety teams then placed the campus on a “secure the building” mode, in which the school day goes on as scheduled but nobody is allowed to enter or leave.



School security and Alexandria police investigated the student involved and recovered an unloaded handgun. The “secure the building” state was lifted about an hour later.

The 14-year-old student has been charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds.

“The safety and security of our students and staff are of utmost priority,” Principal Peter Balas said in an email to the school community. “We will continue to provide updates to families via our website and ParentSquare as more information becomes available.”

1 adult hurt, no kids harmed after shooting at Virginia elementary school, official says

An adult was wounded in a shooting at a Virginia elementary school Wednesday morning, according to an official who responded to the scene and confirmed no children were injured. Jim Wood, a Waynesboro city council member whose district includes Westwood Hills Elementary School, said in a phone interview that the shooting was an isolated event and that the shooter is no longer a threat. He declined to further elaborate on the suspect's status. “This is a one-on-one incident,” said Wood, who was at a nearby event Wednesday morning and went to the scene. He later went to a church, where he said children were being reunited with their families. The adult victim was taken to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening, Wood said.
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