Sikeston junior-high students accused of taking loaded gun to school

SIKESTON, Mo. — Two Sikeston teenagers were arrested after authorities said they learned they had brought a loaded gun to school.

At 8:43 a.m. Thursday, a Sikeston Department of Public Safety officer went to Sikeston Junior High School about a meeting with a parent, according to department reports.

The parent said his son used his lunch money to buy a green, leafy substance from another student. The parent also said his .22-caliber revolver was stolen Wednesday night.

The parent said his son had admitted to taking the gun a couple weeks ago from their home.

The officer called the parent’s child in to the school office. The juvenile said he thought the officer wanted to talk to him because he brought a loaded gun to school two weeks ago.

The juvenile said he kept it in his backpack during the school day and gave the gun to another student on the bus ride home, the report stated.

The DPS officer talked to the second juvenile who said he had a gun at school. When the officer asked how he got the gun, the juvenile repeated the same story. The student told the officer he knew the gun was loaded.

Both juveniles said the second juvenile’s adult brother has the gun.

The two 13-year-old juveniles were arrested and taken to the Department of Public Safety, where they were booked before being taken to the Mississippi County Juvenile Detention Center in Charleston, Missouri.

According to a Sikeston School District policy that deals with students and weapons in school, “any student who brings or possesses a weapon ... on school property will be suspended from school for at least one calendar year or expelled and will be referred to the appropriate legal authorities.”

Sikeston schools superintendent Tom Williams said he cannot comment about student matters, but he commended junior-high staff for taking appropriate action.

“The junior-high administrative staff followed the policy and procedure in dealing with this incident and made sure that everyone was in a safe place and the situation was contained,” Williams said.

Pertinent address:

510 W. Lindenwood Ave., Sikeston, Mo.