EAST CHICAGO, Ind. — An 18-year-old student was taken into custody Monday morning after a firearm was discovered on school property at East Chicago Central High School.
According to East Chicago Police, officers were dispatched to the school around 9:00 a.m. after receiving reports of a student possibly in possession of a weapon.
School officials told police the student initially attempted to enter the building with a backpack and triggered the metal detector during the screening process. Staff conducted a search of the bag, locating a set of pliers, a fork, and a tightly wrapped plastic bag, but no firearm at that time.
The student was asked to pass through the metal detector a second time, which again activated. When questioned further, the student allegedly made a concerning statement, “You don’t want to know,” and became disorderly before grabbing his backpack and fleeing the building.
The Dean of Students pursued the student outside, where he was detained. During the incident, the backpack was discarded in nearby bushes.
A subsequent search of the bag led to the discovery of a loaded .40 caliber Glock handgun.
The student was held by school staff and security until officers arrived. He was then taken into custody by East Chicago Police on a preliminary charge of felony possession of a firearm on school property.
He was transported to the East Chicago Police Department Jail and is being held pending formal charges.
Police say the investigation remains ongoing, and the student’s identity is being withheld at this time.
