Student who brought gun to school at Gainesville will face charge

A Gainesville Junior High student is now facing a charge of unlawful possession of a weapon in connection with an incident last Wednesday, Aug. 27, when he reportedly brought a .38 special revolver to school in his backpack. 

According to Sheriff Cass Martin, the student said he had been using the gun to “shoot varmints” that morning and planned to return the gun to his grandfather’s house before he got on the school bus. He said his grandfather’s house sits near his school bus stop, but when he got there, the bus was  already waiting for him. So, he threw the gun into his backpack and boarded the bus instead of taking it to his grandfather’s house in order to avoid missing his ride to school. 

When the boy got to school, he reportedly told some friends that he had the gun and needed to get rid of it. One of those students then told a school administrator. 

Superintendent Justin Gilmore told the Times that as soon as the administrator was notified of its presence, the gun was secured, and the boy’s parents were called. The Ozark County Sheriff’s Department was immediately notified, and Sheriff Cass Martin and his deputies arrived on scene soon afterward. The student was removed from school property, and the officers got to work. After investigating the incident and speaking with the student, the sheriff says that he does not believe there was malicious intent.

“Our investigation determined that the student had no intent to cause harm [when he] brought the firearm to school,” the sheriff said.

Despite the lack of intent to hurt others, the sheriff says it is still illegal for a juvenile to possess a handgun or handgun ammunition (with limited exceptions). Therefore, the student was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm.

The student was turned over to the Missouri Department of Juvenile Justice Services, who will handle prosecution of the case. Because the student is a minor, his name cannot be released. 

When asked if the student will receive punishment at school, Gilmore said the school is not legally able to release details about the student’s potential punishment due to its responsibility to follow the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Sheriff Martin praised the bravery of the student who came forward to tell administrators, the swift response of the school to inform law enforcement and the OCSD deputies for ensuring the matter was handled without escalation. 

“While we are grateful that this matter was resolved peacefully, it is important to emphasize that the safety of our students remains the top priority of both Gainesville School and the Ozark County Sheriff’s Department,” the sheriff said. “Even in cases where no harm was intended, bringing a weapon onto school property is a very serious matter. Both the school and our office will continue to handle such incidents with the utmost care and diligence.”

Timing of information

The school responded to some feedback it received from a few parents and community members who were unhappy with the amount of information released by the school district and the ways and timing in which it was disseminated. 

Gilmore said that the school uses various methods of communication in emergency situations to reach the more than 800 students, families and staff members. 

In this case, the school utilized email, text message and Facebook posting. 

As for timing, a local parent told the Times that she received an email about the incident at 8:52 a.m., and the school made the Facebook post at 9:14 a.m. That same parent said she then received a text message at 10:30 a.m. about the same incident. But, it’s important to note that not everyone may have received the communication with the same timing.

“No single method reaches everyone instantly or necessarily at the same time. That’s why we use multiple modes to make sure families receive timely and accurate updates,” a post to the school’s Facbeook page said. “We encourage all parents and guardians to keep their contact information up to date with the district office. Thank you for staying connected and supporting our school community.”

Still, some parents were vocal on social media, saying they believed the school should have instead used a “robocall” phone recording, as it does sometimes when school is dismissed due to winter weather or holidays. Others have said they are thankful the school was being transparent about the situation.

Amount of information

As for the difference in the information released by the school and the sheriff, Gilmore says the school must abide by FERPA whereas law enforcement does not. That fact means that the sheriff is legally allowed to say a lot more than school officials can in such incidences. 

He says FERPA requires schools to protect personally identifiable information about students, which includes disciplinary matters. Because of that, the school is unable to release any identifying details about the student or information that could reasonably identify them. He says the school must limit its communication to essential safety facts. In this case, that the situation was handled, law enforcement was contacted and students and staff were safe.

Law enforcement, on the other hand, operates under a different legal framework, which is why their public statements may include more information than school officials are permitted to provide.

See something, say something

The school district released a statement on Facebook the following day, saying high school and junior high students were reminded of the importance of ‘see something, say something.’ We applaud the bravery of those who spoke up recently and thank them for their valuable input that helped resolve a situation without incident. We hope our parents and community take the opportunity to have discussion with students on the importance of speaking up in similar situations. We are proud of our Bulldogs!”