FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – One day before Fort Wayne Community Schools officials addressed safety concerns inside the district this week, a student had a gun at Wayne High School.
It had been the third time in the span of a few days administrators found a gun at one the district’s schools.
The gun was discovered at Wayne on Tuesday and a letter was sent to parents by Principal John Houser that night.
In the letter, Houser wrote:
“I want to let you know about a situation that occurred at school today and the steps we took to ensure the safety of our students and staff.
Administrators were alerted that a student may be in possession of a gun. The student was immediately found, taken to a secure area and the weapon located. The student made no threats and did not indicate an intent to harm anyone in the school building.
I appreciate those who notified staff of the presence of the weapon and the quick response of staff members and our school resource officer. We take student and staff safety seriously, and we will follow the FWCS Code of Conduct in addressing this situation.
As always, please remind your child that if they see or hear anything that makes them feel unsafe or uncomfortable, they should immediately report it to a trusted adult. Parents, if you have information, we ask that you contact school officials or the police department. We all play a role in maintaining a safe learning environment. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the school office at 467-6400.“
Last Friday, administrators found a student had a gun at North Side High School and this past Monday a gun was found at South Side High School.
No students were injured in any of those incidents.
On Wednesday, Superintendent Dr. Mark Daniel and members of the Community School Safety Committee held a news conference to discuss school safety concerns and planned improvement initiatives.
The Community School Safety Committee began meeting in October and is comprised of FWCS school staff and community leaders. Dr. Daniel said students have also been involved with the process of formulating a plan for improved school safety.
Daniel said there would be an emphasis on mentoring so students who have been disciplined can get on a path of success.
Daniel also said more fathers need to be involved with education and that means getting them into the schools.
Building security is also an issue and every door should be secured, according to Daniel.
Improvements in school security come at a cost and he mentioned there might be a future ballot referendum to cover the cost of security and technology upgrades.
