Student arrested about gun brought to Hancock High School, district says

Authorities arrested a Hancock High School student Wednesday night after a gun was brought to campus, the Hancock County School District said Thursday morning.

“It was reported after school hours that a student at Hancock High School brought a handgun to school yesterday,” the district said in a message sent to staff and families of middle and high school students. “The incident was reported to the authorities and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department arrested the student last night.”

Melissa Saucier, director of public relations for the district, said school officials learned of the incident after another child left school Wednesday and told a parent that a classmate brought a handgun to Hancock High.

The sheriff’s department found and arrested the student Wednesday night, Saucier said.

“We’re not aware of any threats that were made,” she said.

The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release on Thursday that it received information about a video that showed two juveniles with a handgun at the school.

The release said authorities identified the juveniles, who are 14 and 16. The sheriff’s department recovered the handgun and has turned the case over to the Hancock County Youth Court, the release said.

The release did not mention an arrest and did not specify which juvenile reportedly brought the gun to school.

The school district’s message to parents asked them to encourage children to immediately report suspicious activity on campus.

Saucier said safety is a top priority in Hancock County schools, and the district has ordered weapons detectors that will arrive in October. School leaders ordered those systems to increase security after a mass shooting at an after-prom party in May left two Hancock High students dead and others injured.

The school will follow handbook protocols but could not discuss discipline because the student is a minor, Saucier said.