DELAWARE, Ohio (WCMH) — A Delaware Hayes High School student is in custody after being accused of bringing a gun to school Wednesday, according to Delaware Police Chief Adam Moore.
While Moore said he has no information that would lead him to believe there’s an ongoing threat to students or staff, freshman Nicolas Diloreto said it’s shocking something like this would happen in his community.
“Every student is scared of guns in the building and they have a right to be because that’s really, really scary,” Diloreto said.
Diloreto said he didn’t even know about the incident until a friend told him.
“There was no lockdown or anything,” Diloreto said.
Delaware Hayes High School senior Brody Counts said he thinks the school and police had the students’ safety in mind.
“I think they probably reckoned it was a little bit safer to try to not incite a panic or anything like that,” Counts said.
According to Moore, around 11:40 a.m. Wednesday, the school resource officer and school staff were alerted that a 15-year-old student was in possession of a weapon. He said the teenager was confronted, and a gun was found in his backpack. He was immediately taken into custody by the school resource officer and removed from the building. According to Moore, the incident was quickly contained and a lockdown was not necessary.
Andrea Baker has a sophomore at Delaware Hayes. She has three other children who have already graduated from the school.
“It’s scary for our kids and it’s scary as parents because we want to protect them but we can’t be with them 24/7, so we have to trust those that are watching over and taking care of them that they’re going to keep them safe when we can’t be there,” Baker said.
Families were notified about the incident Wednesday evening, about three hours after school dismissal.
“It was around 5:45 we got an email from the principal, which it was well-written, well-spoken,” Counts said. “It took a little while to get there and it’s a little bit scary but at the same time, it’s not unexpected, you know there’s no real way you can prevent this type of thing.”
The email from Delaware Hayes principal, Rex Reeder, reads:
Dear Hayes Families,
Earlier today we were alerted to a concern that a student at the high school may have a weapon in their possession. The high school team conducted a search and found a firearm in the student’s backpack. The individual was removed into police custody and the Delaware Police Department is conducting a thorough investigation with our full cooperation. At this time, we do not believe there is an ongoing threat to our students or staff.
The safety of our students is our number one priority, but it takes all of us to ensure a safe school environment. We want to reiterate the importance of “See something, Say something.” Please talk with your student(s) and remind them that if they hear or see something of concern to tell a trusted adult, notify Delaware PD or report through the Safer Schools tip line at 844-723-3764. Together, we all make a difference.
Sincerely,
Rex Reeder, Principal
Several parents expressed concern about how long it took to receive this message.
“Why are we hearing about this so late or how come something wasn’t done during the event was actually occurring,” Baker said.
Delaware City School District declined to respond when asked for comment on the parents’ concerns.
“The thing is, Delaware is one of those communities where we know how to stick together,” Counts said. “We have a safe community, we’re a well-spoken community and to that regard, I think they’re looking into our safety as always.”
The student was taken to juvenile court where he is being held on a charge of illegally bringing a weapon into a school safety zone.
According to Moore, Delaware police are stressing the importance of “see something, say something” and that when a concern arises to report it to school administration, the police department, or the Safer Schools tip line at (844)-723-3764.
