A 12-year-old boy was arrested today after police say he brought a gun to school, and that led to a brief lockdown at Kapolei Middle School.
KAPOLEI, Hawaii (KITV4) -- Kapolei Middle School was briefly placed on lockdown after school administrators were told that a student was allegedly showing off a gun to other students on campus.
The incident happened around 8:30 a.m. In a letter sent home to parents, Principal Bryan Rankie said the school immediately went on lockdown after being notified that a gun was on campus and an “item” was confiscated. Honolulu Police officers were then called to the school to investigate.
Rankie did not say what type of gun the student allegedly brought to school in the letter to parents.
In a press conference Thursday afternoon, HPD Chief Joe Logan said the student is facing multiple firearm offenses due to this incident. Because that student is a juvenile, they have not been identified. Logan said the item that was confiscated was a handgun.
Honolulu Police Chief Joe Logan held a press conference to provide updates after Kapolei Middle School was placed on lockdown when a student brought a handgun to school.
“We want you to have the facts so you can discuss them with your child and emphasize the seriousness of this issue. We ask for your help to speak to your children about the serious repercussions that can result from such actions and to remind them about contraband items that may be harmful or pose a health and safety risk to themselves or to others,” Rankie said.
Rankie went on to ask that parents and guardians be sure and secure any dangerous items at home to prevent their keiki from gaining access to them.
Logan echoed those sentiments, urging parents to lock their weapons up to keep them out of reach of children. Authorities are continuing to investigating this incident, including checking into who was the owner of the gun, was it registered, and how it was stored. Additionally charges are possible, Logan said.
It is unclear what punishment the student may be facing. The lockdown at the school was lifted just before 10 a.m.
Responding to what happened Thursday, the Director of the Hawaii Firearms Coalition Andrew Namiki Roberts said, "It's a societal problem, and I'd like to see firearms safety taught in the schools, plus a child needs to know if they find a gun, that they're not toys." Roberts added, "It's becoming more common across the country, people need to secure firearms."
Matthew has been the digital content manager for KITV4 since September 2021. Matthew is a prolific writer, editor, and self-described "newsie" who's worked in television markets in Oklahoma, California, and Hawaii.
