3 Freshmen Arrested After Photo With Gun Inside Delaware School Appears On Instagram
NEW CASTLE, Del. (CBS) -- Three high school freshmen in Delaware are facing charges after a photo surfaced online that showed one of the students with a gun inside the school.
The incident happened on Wednesday at William Penn High School (WPHS) in New Castle, Delaware.
According to investigators, a student showed a school administrator an Instagram photo of two students in which one of the students was in possession of a pellet gun inside the school.
WPHS administrators immediately removed both of the students in the photo from their classrooms. According to school officials, the second student was in possession of an unloaded handgun.
A further investigation revealed that a third student was in possession of two gun magazines, one of which was loaded with bullets.
All three students were removed from the school.
The three students have been charged by the Delaware State Police with weapons related offenses and the Delaware State Attorney General's office is now preparing to prosecute the students. The three students also face serious punitive actions by the Colonial School District pending adjudication of their cases.
Dr. Dorothy Linn, Superintendent of the Colonial School District, applauds the student who showed the Instagram photo to a school administrator, and praised the staff for taking swift action to remove the students without endangering others. However, she says she is deeply disturbed by what occurred at the school.
"The safety of our students and staff is a top priority. It is disheartening to know that these three students made such poor choices, especially at a time when the majority of students at William Penn are doing the right thing and don't deserve the black eye that this incident will bring," Linn said, adding that the district is fully cooperating with law enforcement officials.
WPHS parents were notified by an automated phone call from Principal Dr. Jeffrey Menzer after police completed the initial part of the ongoing investigation.
