Dublin police detained a student at Scioto High School on Wednesday, Oct. 21, after classmates reported a handgun on campus to a school resource officer.
No students or staff were harmed. The school day ended with normal dismissal, according to a joint letter the Dublin Police Department and Dublin City Schools sent to families that afternoon.
Students reported shortly before dismissal that another student may have displayed a firearm, according to the district. School administrators and Dublin police responded, identified the student and conducted a search. Officers recovered a handgun and detained the student, ABC6 reported.
The district sent a first message to families at 4:05 p.m. describing the incident as a serious safety concern. A follow-up at 6 p.m. confirmed the student had possessed a handgun on school property and announced increased police presence at Scioto for Thursday, Oct. 22, as a precaution.
Police Chief Justin Páez said the incident showed the value of the district's "See Something, Say Something" safety approach.
"Students observed something concerning and reported it to a School Resource Officer immediately, allowing school administrators and law enforcement to act quickly," Páez said in the joint letter, 10TV reported.
Superintendent Jen Schwanke praised the students who spoke up and the staff who responded. She said the outcome reflected trust built through daily relationships between educators, administrators, school resource officers and students.
The district said disciplinary consequences would be assessed under Board of Education policy. Officials did not disclose whether the student faces criminal charges, according to ABC6. The student's age and grade level have not been released.
Authorities also have not said whether the handgun was loaded or how it was brought onto campus.
The joint letter urged families to encourage students to report safety concerns to a teacher, administrator, school resource officer or other trusted adult. The district announced additional police officers would be on site at Scioto on Thursday, Oct. 22.
