WHS Student, 17, Arrested after Glock Replica Found in Vehicle
On September 5, a Waltham High School student was arrested in connection with a replica firearm that was discovered on school grounds.
“Last night, the Waltham Police Department received information that a firearm was possibly seen inside a vehicle on school grounds last week,” said WPS Superintendent Marisa Mendonsa and WPD Chief Kevin O’Connell in a joint letter to the WHS Community Thursday afternoon.
Police located the unoccupied vehicle inside the school parking garage.
Investigators discovered “what appeared to be a firearm or an authentic replica firearm” and removed it from school grounds.
The student in question was also removed from school property by investigators, the joint letter said, and the school building was placed in a brief hold in place.
“There was no specific threat to the greater school community, rather this was an isolated incident,” the superintendent and police chief said in their letter.
The investigation determined that the alleged firearm was a BB gun meant to resemble a real firearm.
A photo accompanying a WPD press release about the incident showed the similarity to a real Glock pistol.
Waltham Police said the student, a 17-year-old Waltham resident, was arrested and is being charged as a juvenile. The charges were not announced.
“We believe the underlying incident which was brought to our attention to be an isolated event and have received no information regarding any further threats,” police said.
The joint letter said several steps were taken to ensure school safety, including securing the parking garage, additional WPD officers at arrival and dismissal, investigating the incident, notifying parents and reviewing current safety protocols.
“Please remind your children of the importance of reporting any unusual or suspicious activity to a trusted adult or school authority immediately,” Mendonsa and O’Connell said in the letter.
