DA: No charges against Stevens Point student for bringing shotgun onto school property
Law allows for encased, unloaded gun on school property
Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers October 12, 2007
STEVENS POINT — A night in jail appears to be the only legal punishment facing a Stevens Point Area Senior High School student arrested Thursday for bringing a shotgun onto school property in his vehicle.
With the arrested student watching by video conference from the county jail, Portage County District Attorney Tom Eagon told a circuit court judge that his office would not be seeking any criminal charges against the young man.
The Stevens Point Police Department had requested charges of possession of a firearm on school property after receiving a tip that the boy had a shotgun in his vehicle. Police arrested the student around 11:15 a.m., finding a gun, unloaded, and locked in a case in the boy’s vehicle, along with numerous rounds of ammunition packed separately. According to police, the boy had said he left the gun in his vehicle after hunting early Thursday morning.
According to Eagon, there is an exception under the statute outlawing firearms on school property allowing for unloaded, locked guns.
“In reviewing the firearms in school zone statute, the statute does have an exception for a shotgun or a rifle that was encased and is not loaded, as is the case here,” Eagon told the court, "so the state does not feel that charges would be appropriate.”
SPASH Principal Mike Devine says the student has been suspended for ten days pending an expulsion hearing. Devine says the school’s investigation into the young man’s actions is still in its preliminary stages.
“We’ll review the student’s history, but we also have a board policy that states people that have possession of firearms on school property can be expelled up to 12 months,” said Devine Friday. “It doesn’t mean that’s going to happen, I’m saying that’s an option. It's too early to call.”
Link to article.
This is of particular interest to me working in the school system. It looks like I can at least have an encased rifle and/or shotgun unloaded (with ammunition elsewhere in the vehicle) within my vehicle in the school parking lot. Not a great way to defend yourself in a potential school shooting situation but sure as heck a lot better than our policy of locking the doors and hiding under the tables, assuming someone can get outside the building.