KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Excelsior Springs School District says an unloaded gun was found in the backpack of a middle school student before classes started early Thursday morning.
According to a social media post from the district, at around 7:10 a.m., a student told a teacher that they believed another student had a “weapon or gun” in their backpack.
The district says the teacher notified administrators at Excelsior Springs Middle School, who then worked with the school resource officer to locate the student and search the student’s backpack less than five minutes later.
It was during that search that officials located the unloaded gun. Officials say no ammunition was located in the backpack. The district says the situation was resolved before students are scheduled to arrive at 7:15 a.m.
“We want to assure you that the safety and security of our students and staff is our highest priority and the swift actions of our dedicated staff and security personnel were instrumental in handling this situation,” the district said in the social media post.
The district said it believed the rapid response from the reporting student, teacher and building officials helped to ensure safety.
“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the student who reported their concerns to the teacher,” the district continued. “Your courage and responsibility in sharing this information played a pivotal role in our ability to address the situation swiftly and effectively.”
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