Student Arrested for Pellet Gun Possession on UHS Campus
On March 20, 2018 a Ukiah High School (UHS) student was arrested on suspicion of possessing a pellet gun on campus. School administrators received a report that a student had pulled out a pellet gun in the classroom. In collaboration with School Resource Officer Tony DeLapo, administrators investigated the matter and verified the information.
“The students who reported their concerns and the evidence did exactly the right thing,” said UHS Principal Gordon Oslund. “In the wake of recent school shootings, it is more important than ever that we all look out for each other—students, faculty and staff.”
A pellet gun is considered a weapon and not allowed on campus. All reports of any weapons are taken seriously and investigated fully, according to Ukiah Police Chief Chris Dewey. “It is against the law to bring any weapon on campus, including a knife,” Dewey said.
Oslund said, “An investigation of this type takes top priority. We talk to the student, parents and teachers; review the student’s history, and then have the student evaluated by the school psychologist. The SRO also takes investigative measures. All of this is usually completed with a few hours. Oftentimes, concerns are based on conversations that were misheard or taken out of context. Sometimes, concerns are based on students who use poor judgment in their communication with one another. Whatever the situation, we work with law enforcement to make sure students and staff members remain safe.”
Superintendent Deb Kubin stated, “Student safety is our highest priority, which is why we have processes and procedures in place to assess any threat to any of our campuses. I am grateful to the UHS administrators for their work today and for our strong partnership with law enforcement.”
Dewey said, “School always has been and should continue to be, a place of safety for our students and educators, and I know that our law enforcement officers have made school safety one of our most important priorities. Most importantly, we couldn’t keep our campuses safe without our strong partnerships with students and educators. That’s why it’s so important that we share our concerns immediately to help maintain safety in our schools. If anyone sees something suspicious, hears something, or knows someone who might be thinking of harming someone - please report what you know immediately. Your actions in reporting concerns will be the difference in helping to keep our schools safe.”