SHARONVILLE, Ohio — A weapon was confiscated from a 17-year-old Scarlet Oaks student on campus Wednesday after an anonymous tip alerted school officials, according to a letter to parents from Dan Rush, director of student services of Great Oaks Career Campuses.
Rush wrote that after receiving the tip, administrators and law enforcement "responded immediately."
The tip said a student may have a weapon on campus; Rush said the student was "promptly removed from the instructional environment" and a weapon was confiscated.
Safety experts on the importance of reporting threats and suspicious behavior:
Sharonville police said in a release that the teen and his possessions were searched, and a loaded and functioning Taurus handgun and magazine were found in his backpack. That student was arrested and is charged with carrying a concealed weapon and illegal conveyance in a school zone.
Police said the student never made any threats to harm any other students or threats toward the public in general.
"However, this remains an alarming situation," reads the press release from Sharonville police. "The intelligence that led to the recovery of this weapon was related to other students' willingness to speak up and provide a tip to police."
Safety experts note they've seen an increase in school shooting threats and reports following mass school shootings elsewhere.
"Students are afraid to go to school when things like that happen because they never know if it'll happen in their school community," said Emily Torok, executive director of the Ohio School Safety Center.
Torok said every potential threat deserves serious attention.
"Anytime someone sees a threat online, if they hear something from their student, if they hear something from anybody else in the community about a threat to student safety, they should report that immediately to a tip line or to first responders," said Torok.
Torok spoke about the importance of parents and students knowing how to report tips. A tip line can be found on the Ohio School Safety Center website, along with other resources.
"You reduce the anxiety and uncertainty through education, communication, and preparation, and all of those things need to be done ahead of time. In addition to during an actual incident," said Dr. Kenneth Trump, president of the National School Safety and Security Services.
He recommends that schools have threat assessment teams, protocols for heightened security, and crisis communications plans.
"If they see something, say something, and then train people on how to go about it," said Trump.
Rush said there is currently no known, immediate threat to staff or students, and the incident did not interrupt the rest of the school day for students.
"As always, we will follow protocols as directed to ensure your child's safety," wrote Rush. "We are thankful for the anonymous report and swift action of administrators and law enforcement."
Sharonville police told us Wednesday evening that officers had responded to Scarlet Oaks' campus around 8 a.m. Wednesday morning for reports that a gun was found.
