Watson Chapel School District in a press release announced that at approximately 10:00 a.m. on August 17, 2021, the district received an anonymous tip from a patron regarding a possible weapon inside a vehicle present on the Watson Chapel High School campus.
The WCSD Security Director and High School Principal immediately identified and searched the vehicle. The search yielded a handgun and a small amount of marijuana. WCSD personnel then immediately contacted the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. JCSO officers arrived on campus shortly thereafter, and the student-owner of the vehicle was arrested without incident. The student’s parents have been contacted.
From the time that WCSD personnel was notified of the situation to the recovery of the weapon, the weapon remained outside of the WCHS building. The tip that led to the search did not reference the presence of any other weapon on campus, no student tried to enter the WCHS building with a weapon, and metal detectors are and will remain in use at WCHS. For these reasons, the WCSD administration has determined that additional weapons searches or lockdown of the high school campus are not necessary. The district has requested that the JCSD K-9 unit search the WCHS parking lot for any other drugs or illegal substances.
WCSD recognizes that this news may be unsettling for teachers, students, and members of the community still grieving the death of a junior high school student earlier this year, and counselors continue to be available to all staff and students in need. WCSD administration and the staff of each of the district’s schools take the safety and security of our buildings very seriously, and we will continue to be vigilant in monitoring security threats to our students, teachers, and staff.
