JOPPATOWNE, Md. — A portable weapons detection system awaits students every morning at Joppatowne High School, and on Thursday morning, it warned of a potential threat in a 15-year-old’s belongings.
“We searched the backpack and recovered a handgun, a loaded handgun, and subsequently arrested that juvenile,” said Major Lee Dunbar of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, “They were detained by Juvenile Services and they are currently being held at the Hickey Center.”
In the wake of a shooting in a bathroom at the same school, which left a 15-year-old dead two years ago, the school system brought in the advanced weapons detection system.
School resource officers and school security personnel also train together regularly not only to spot weapons, but also to head off any potential confrontations before they lead to violence.
“We handle these things on a regular basis,” said Dunbar, “If we get the threat through a tip or anonymous information from the school or through students, yes, we act on that immediately. We go interview that student and we also interview the parents and get them involved.”
The investigation into Thursday’s incident continues and detectives say state law has prohibited them from interviewing the student at this point.
“We have not determined any type of motive that they were there to cause harm to multiple students or even one student,” added Dunbar, “So why they brought it in, did they bring it in as a show-and-tell to kind of look tough or were they afraid of another student that may be a threat? Those are all things that are still open.”
