OLATHE, Kan. — An Olathe student unknowingly brought a gun into Madison Place Elementary School Tuesday morning.
A statement from school principal Dr. Gary Stevenson said a student “accidentally” brought a weapon to school after grabbing the wrong backpack at home that contained a gun.
Stevenson said the student was unaware there was a gun in the bag and did not bring the gun into the school in a threatening manner.
Once staff became aware of the weapon, they notified the Olathe Public Schools Safety Services team and police to conduct an investigation. The gun was removed from campus.
Stevenson said the district finished their student investigation and the incident is now being investigated as an “adult matter” by the Olathe Police Department.
This is a copy of the letter Stevenson sent to parents Tuesday afternoon:
Madison Place Elementary Families,
I wanted to make you aware of a situation that happened today. This morning, we were made aware that a student unknowingly brought a gun to school. The student did not bring the item to school in a threatening manner. Upon notification, administration and staff worked quickly to alert our Safety Services team and law enforcement to conduct a full investigation and the weapon was removed from campus.
This email is intended to fulfill two purposes.
- I want to be transparent with what occurs at Madison Place and for you to be informed about important matters, especially safety matters, as it relates to our school and your child.
- I want to assure you we take incidents like this very seriously. The safety of our students is always our top priority.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Dr. Gary Stevenson
Principal
