Six uniformed officers arrived at the Lincoln-Bassett School graduation Monday morning — to separate a man with a handgun from the auditorium.
Another parent had noticed the man entering the school with a handgun. She informed a school security officer, whose supervisor called in police.
Officers removed the parent with the handgun from the scene.
He was “extremely cooperative” and posed no threat, according to Sgt. Al McFadden, who heads the city’s “school resource officers” (cops stationed at schools) and who was among those at the scene.
The parent had just gotten off work, McFadden said. He recently obtained a gun permit; as part of that process, he’d been “strongly urged” in classes never to leave his gun in a car. So he brought it in.
It turns out officials don’t want anyone (except for law enforcement officials) to bring guns into schools either.
In retrospect, McFadden said, the parent “should have tried to get home as soon as he can” to deposit the gun and “safely get back to school.” The man did not get to go back inside to watch his child graduate, according to McFadden.
Because of the swift response and absence of a threat, officials saw no need to put the school into lockdown. The graduation proceeded as planned. The scene did cause some concern among those present, who sent text messages around town about what was happening.
