Student detained, gun confiscated from school

Wahluke School District entered lockdown Friday

MATTAWA - The Wahluke School District went into lockdown Friday afternoon following an incident involving a student and an unloaded pistol.

A staff member noticed a suspicious student who appeared to be in possession of some kind of weapon standing behind Wahluke High School, Wahluke School District Associate Superintendent Rick Molitor said. The staff member immediately notified the high school principal who initiated the school district-wide lock-down, he said.

All five schools in the district went into lockdown, Molitor said. All school buildings are located on one 120-acre campus.

The suspicious student was detained by law enforcement and an unloaded pistol was reportedly located in the area where the staff member allegedly saw the student, he said.

The lockdown ended a few minutes before 2 p.m. when there was no longer an apparent danger, Molitor said.

Following an investigation on behalf of law enforcement and the school district, the student could face a one-year expulsion from the school for allegedly having a firearm on campus, he said.

The identity of the student was not released.

Molitor said the school district practices the lockdown scenario regularly and stresses safety as a top priority. There were no injuries and the lockdown was successful, he said.

During the lockdown, all entrances and exits to the buildings are locked for student safety, Molitor said. In this instance, it appeared to keep a potential hazard from reaching inside the school.

"This (incident) is a good reason why we practice," he said.

There are approximately 1,800 students within the school district.