A “serious incident” at Holmes Park Elementary on Halloween day has prompted the school to notify parents after learning about the situation this week.
According to a statement from the district, a student brought a handgun onto the Holmes Park campus on Friday, October 31st. Though the student admitted to bringing the gun in a backpack and showing it to several other students, the school was apparently not aware of the incident until a student brought it up on late Thursday, December 4th.
The school says their school resource officers “acted immediately,” and that the student had been disciplined according to district policy, and that Sapulpa police were continuing to investigate the incident.
According to a Facebook post from the Sapulpa Police Department, the gun belonged to the student’s mother.
The statement urged families to secure all weapons in their home, check backpacks, and have “ongoing conversations” with children about the serious consequences involved with bringing a weapon onto school property.
“If you see or hear anything concerning, please report it immediately to law enforcement or school administration, and encourage your students to do the same,” they said.
The full statement has been included below.
We are writing to inform you of a serious incident that recently came to our attention involving student safety at Holmes Park Elementary.
Late yesterday, a student reported that another student brought a handgun onto the Holmes Park campus on Friday, October 31. Upon receiving this information, our school resource officers acted immediately. They identified the student involved, who admitted to bringing the firearm to school in a backpack and showing it to several other students. The student has been disciplined according to district policy and police continue to investigate the incident.
The safety and security of our students, staff, and school community remains our highest priority. If you see or hear anything concerning, please report it immediately to law enforcement or school administration, and encourage your students to do the same. If the situation is not urgent, you may also submit an anonymous report through our district’s reporting tool, Vector Alert.
We strongly encourage families to secure all weapons in the home, to make sure backpacks are checked before and after school, and have ongoing conversations with children about the serious consequences of bringing weapons onto school property or making any related threats.
Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to maintaining a safe learning environment for all students.
