Guns found in vehicle at St. Henry school

ST. HENRY - Village police officers reportedly located firearms inside a parked vehicle at the high school during a routine property search on Wednesday.

Multiple law enforcement agencies took K-9 units to help with the search, police chief Mike Link said. During the search, a handler saw firearms through the window of a high school senior's vehicle in the parking lot behind the school.

A .22-caliber rifle, an AR-15 and .17-caliber revolver and a "significant amount ammunition" were located and seized as evidence, Link said. No magazines for the AR-15 were found in the vehicle.

"It seems like an honest mistake," he said. "The student went target shooting the night before and accidentally failed to take the firearms out of the vehicle afterwards."

No staff or students were near the vehicle at the time, superintendent Julie Garke stated in a news release. The student who had driven the vehicle was in class when the officer conducted the search, Link said.

Law enforcement officers determined the incident posed no threat to students or staff, Link said.

Administrators and police officers took swift action to secure the students and staff and address the situation in an appropriate manner, Garke said in the news release.
  The district will pursue appropriate disciplinary action, she said. The student may be disciplined up to expulsion under board policies. Link added the matter has been turned over to Mercer County Prosecutor Matt Fox for possible charges.

School policy prohibits students from possessing, storing, making or using a weapon, including a concealed carry, in a school safety zone and any setting under the control and supervision of the board.

"Please know the safety and well-being of our students is of utmost importance to our district," Garke said. "We are grateful for our local police department and their support in working with us towards resolving this situation."