Rowlett High School

Three Students Arrested After a Gun Was Brought to Rowlett High School

Students will not be allowed to return to campus, per the district's zero-tolerance policy on weapons

NBC 5 News

Three Rowlett High School students are now banned from returning to campus after a gun was allegedly used in an on-campus assault on Friday, school and police officials say.

Just before 11 a.m., Rowlett Police said a student reached out to school resource officers and reported he'd been assaulted by multiple people in a bathroom and was injured when he was hit with a gun.

Rowlett Police and Garland ISD security immediately responded and determined that there was a concealed, loaded handgun in the school.

Police said that three juvenile boys were arrested at about 2:15 p.m. and were transported to the Henry Wade Juvenile Center on the accusation of aggravated assault. No further information about the boys, including their ages and classes, was released because they are juveniles.

Police said they have not yet done a background check on the gun and that it'll be sent to the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

In a letter sent to families and shared with NBC 5, Rowlett High School Principal Carmen Blakey said school administrators were told a student on campus was carrying a weapon and that the school initiated their emergency protocol and put the school into a "Secure" mode.

Blakey said, in accordance with the district's zero-tolerance policy on weapons, the three students who were arrested will not be allowed to return to campus.

No other injuries were reported and the school said they expected to dismiss on time Friday afternoon.

The school credited a student with alerting officials to the gun being on campus and thanked them for helping to keep everyone safe.

"Your safety is our top priority. We appreciate our students taking part in our see something, say something protocol and for bringing this to our attention," Blakey said in the letter. "We thank you for your help in keeping our students, staff, and families safe. We will remain vigilant in maintaining a safe and secure environment every day."

WHAT IS A SECURE MODE

According to the Garland ISD's emergency guide, there are five levels of protection at GISD schools: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter.

"A Secure command is called when there is a threat or hazard outside of the school building. The public announcement for SECURE is “Secure! Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors. No One In – No One Out.” The SECURE command may occur during violence, criminal activity in the immediate neighborhood, or a dangerous animal on the playground. The SECURE command uses the security of the physical facility as protection."

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