Washington Middle School Placed on Lock-down after Reports of a Student with a Gun on Campus

Washington Middle School Placed on Lock-down after Reports of a Student with a Gun on Campus

A juvenile has been arrested by the Bakersfield Police Department at a northeast Bakersfield middle school.

The full release can be seen below:

On August 19th, 2022, at approximately 12:29 PM, the Bakersfield Police Department was contacted by Bakersfield City School District staff at Washington Middle School, 1101 Noble Avenue, regarding a report of a student in possession of a firearm on the campus. Police units arrived on campus at approximately 12:32 PM and made contact with the 12-year-old male student and staff who had safely removed the suspected firearm from the student. An inspection of the firearm revealed it to be a BB gun, realistic in appearance, which the juvenile had shown to other students. Several students had alerted staff to the juvenile being in possession of the weapon, which prompted the school to contact law enforcement and place the school on lock-down.

The juvenile has been placed under arrest for charges associated with bringing a dangerous weapon onto school grounds, pursuant to Penal Code Section 626.10. Penal Code Section 626.10 makes it a possible felony for anyone to bring any dangerous weapons, including BB guns and knives onto school ground.

The Bakersfield Police Department is working closely with the staff of the Bakersfield City School District to ensure the safety of students and staff. There is a continued law enforcement presence at the school.

Parents are encouraged to have conversations with their children regarding the importance of reporting suspicious, threatening or dangerous activity that they see during school hours to staff immediately