GRANDVIEW, Mo. — A teenager faces gun charges after he allegedly took a machine gun to Grandview High School last week.

The 16-year-old is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful use of a firearm, and tampering.

According to the court, the teenager modified a Glock 19 to convert the weapon into a fully automatic pistol.

The Grandview Police Department said they arrested the teenager on April 20.

Grandview School District notified families of the incident with the following email:

Grandview High School Families,

We are learning of some concerns regarding a weapon recently found in our school and the lack of notification to our families. As a school district, it is important that we share information that pertains to student and staff safety and well-being.  Because of the nature of some circumstances, there are times when we are limited in the information we will provide during or at the conclusion of an investigation. 

The information we share when a weapon is found on school property is driven by a variety of factors including the nature of the weapon, the intended use of the weapon, whether there was any threat or act of aggression involved, whether there was any safety risk to the school environment, whether the incident was passive or unintentional, and whether any extenuating circumstances exist.  

We make those decisions based on the totality of circumstances, with staff and student safety being our first priority. 

In this case, the district partnered with the Grandview Police Department investigation, and at no time did police department investigators report to us that there was any threat of imminent harm to the safety of our staff and students.  There were no other students around when the incident occurred. The weapon was quickly and voluntarily secured without incident, and the high school administration had no reason to believe there was a safety risk to themselves or others.  

We are prohibited by law from sharing any identifiable student or disciplinary information associated with this situation.  However, weapons of any kind are prohibited and appropriate action will be taken according to board policy and state and federal laws. We want to make it clear that weapons have no place in our schools and will not be tolerated. 

Grandview School District Statement

The teenager is currently in custody.