ROY, Utah, April 30, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Roy High School was placed on lockout Tuesday after a fourth gun incident in three weeks.
“Officers from the Roy Police Department responded to the report of an individual with a gun in a nearby neighborhood,” a statement from Weber School District says.
“As a precaution, our school was placed in a ‘secure’ protocol. A secure protocol is used when there is something going on outside of the school. Exterior doors are locked and access to the building is prohibited while the situation is being dealt with.”
The response was not a lockdown, which is protocol when the potential is inside the building, the statement says.
“We were informed by Roy Police that several individuals were detained and one of the subjects was found in possession of a firearm. Although there was no threat to anyone at the school, the juvenile involved is a student at Roy High School. The student is now facing criminal charges and we will also be taking disciplinary action.”
This incident comes on the heels of three others in which students were found in possession of firearms. They happened on April 11, 24 and 25. The first involved a gun in a student’s possession. The second involved an unloaded gun in the possession of a student outside the school. The third was an unloaded gun in a student’s vehicle on school property.
“None of these cases are related nor do they involve any threats, but it is very concerning behavior,” the Weber School District statement says. “We are not aware of any specific issues within the school. The possession of a firearm is strictly prohibited on school property.”
The district statement says extra Roy City Police officers will be assigned to Roy High for the remainder of the school year.
“We are placing special emphasis on the security of our parking lots and surrounding areas in an effort to prevent problems,” the statement says.
The statement says that prior to these cases, the district had been working on security enhancements to include:
● Installation of single-point entry with a secure vestibule.
● Enhancement of our communication system within the building, which involves providing teachers with a security alert device.
● Implementation of a threat assessment program and team to address any potential threats to school safety.
“We want to encourage students and others to continue to report concerns and suspicious behaviors,” the district statement says. “In all of these cases, law enforcement and school officials were able to intervene because someone came forward with information. Any concern can be reported directly to school officials or by submitting a tip through the SafeUT app.
“All tips are taken seriously and we will fully investigate any concerns. We will also continue to work closely with the Roy Police Department and we truly appreciate their quick and appropriate response to these situations.
“Safety will always be our number one priority. If you ever have any concerns or questions, please feel free to reach out to a member of our administration.”
