15-Year-Old Arrested for Bringing Gun to Dover High School
DOVER, Del. – The Dover Police Department (DPD) has arrested a 15-year-old on gun charges after officers say he brought a gun to his high school on Monday.
Police say their investigation began on the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 2, after a Capital School District staff member was notified that a 15-year-old male student had brought a firearm to Dover High School the day prior.
The following morning, high school staff and the School Resource Officer (SRO) immediately took the 15-year-old into custody without incident when he arrived at school. Police say the 15-year-old was not in possession of a firearm when taken into custody. DPD’s Drugs, Vice and Organized Crime Unit assisted with this investigation, and recovered two handguns associated with the reported incident from the student’s residence.
The 15-year-old was committed to Stevenson House Youth Detention Facility on $36,001 secured bail. He is charged with possession of a firearm in a safe school zone and related gun charges.
“Yesterday’s incident underscores the importance of our long-standing partnership with the DPD and the impact of our SROs,” said Capital School District Superintendent Dr. Victoir Cahoon in a statement. “We remain firmly committed to the safety of every student in our district and will continue working closely with Dover Police to ensure our schools remain secure learning environments.”
Chief of Police Thomas A. Johnson echoed the words of Dr. Cahoon and provided the following statement:
“We often hear the words ‘see something, say something’ when we discuss ways to prevent tragedies from occurring. This incident at the school is not the norm, and is certainly concerning to educators and parents, but can also be used as an example of effective prevention/intervention when someone actually says something after seeing something. Police Officers and Professional Educators need everyone’s help with our safety priorities in the community and in the classroom. A very big thank you goes out to everyone who stepped up in a timely fashion to help prevent a potentially harmful outcome.”
