An unloaded gun was found inside a locker at Ockerman Middle School in Florence on Monday, Oct. 19, and a juvenile has been charged, the Boone County Sheriff's Office said.
School administrators and the building's resource officer launched an investigation after receiving a tip that a student might have a weapon on campus, according to a release from Principal Michael Poiry. They located and secured the firearm inside a locker.
Maj. Philip Ridgell, a Boone County Sheriff's Office spokesperson, told Fox 19 the weapon was a gun and that it was not loaded. No ammunition was found. Ridgell said a juvenile has been charged but declined to release further details because of the suspect's age.
The student was taken into custody, the sheriff's office said.
"At no time was there an ongoing threat to the school community," Poiry wrote in an email. "And there is currently no risk to students or staff."
Boone County Schools said the district's code of acceptable behavior and discipline will be followed. Under Kentucky law, a student the school board determines brought a weapon to school must be expelled for at least one year. Only a school board can make that decision, and the student has an opportunity for a hearing before the board.
The district's statement praised those who flagged the situation. Boone County Schools encouraged students to report concerns to any staff member or through the state's S.T.O.P. Tipline.
Boone County Schools has a school resource officer, or SRO, assigned to every school building in the district, according to the district's safety information.
A similar incident occurred in August at Ryle High School in Union. Two students were arrested and charged after a gun was spotted in a school restroom, WCPO reported. The sheriff's office called that incident isolated and unconnected to any broader threat.
Residents with information about the Ockerman incident can contact the Boone County Sheriff's Office at (859) 334-2175.
