This is still all very new and more details will come out as the investigation continues. But Superintendent Mike Berg told ABC30 he's glad the security measures on campus worked.
Berg couldn't go into detail about how the gun was discovered, but said the male student appeared to have a concealed small caliber handgun on him in class. He said the student didn't show the weapon, talk about the weapon or disclose how he planned to use it, but said staff members were very vigilant when they suspected the student had a gun.
Berg said the boy was quietly pulled from class and removed from campus prior to his arrest. It's now up to detectives to determine why the student brought the gun to school.
The superintendent told ABC30, "There have been postings on Facebook about the doomsday issue if you will, however, we aren't finding any link between this particular student in any of that, but certainly as part of the investigation we're going to dig deep and we've asked law enforcement to dig deep into what the student's intent and cause for possessing the firearm was."
Berg says as a result of what happened on campus the district will step up security both while students are in class and during afterschool activities. He says the Fresno County Sheriff's Department will deploy extra deputies to campus, just as a precaution.
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PRESS RELEASE
Earlier today, shortly after 12:00 noon, the Sheriff's School Resource deputy at Central West High School arrested a ninth grade student for illegally possessing a firearm while on campus.
Shortly before the arrest, school officials received a tip through the district's Crime Stoppers program regarding the 14 year old student playing with ammunition while on campus. School officials immediately forwarded the information to the deputy who identified where the student was located.
Assisted by other deputies, the student was contacted in his classroom where he was immediately handcuffed. After being removed from the classroom, deputies located a .25 caliber semi-automatic handgun, and over 50 rounds of ammunition in his pockets.
The juvenile was arrested on several weapons related charges including two felonies and four misdemeanors. The charges are: Possessing a firearm while en route to school; Possessing a firearm while on campus; Carrying a loaded firearm in a public place; carrying a concealed firearm; Minor in possession of a concealed firearm; and Minor in possession of ammunition.
The juvenile was booked into the Fresno County Juvenile Justice Center.
