Harper Woods

Guns, knives found in school after shot fired

By April Lehmbeck
C & G Staff Writer

A Harper Woods police officer blocked the entrance to the Harper Woods Secondary School campus the afternoon Feb. 16, telling drivers they couldn’t enter because the school was on lockdown.

Several other police cars were parked in the school parking lot in response to a weapon being found at the school.

“A gun was discharged in the building,” said Superintendent Todd Biederwolf, who was not in town at the time of the incident, but was in contact with police. “We are in possession of that gun.

“No one was injured,” he added.

While Biederwolf was told that the gunshot was not intended for anyone — police said it was accidentally discharged — he said that “a gun has no place in our schools.”

Discovery of one weapon would be shocking enough for any school, but what officials found during a subsequent search of the school led to the arrest of six students.

The incident started just before 1 p.m. when a 16-year-old student pulled a 9 mm handgun out of his locker area, possibly to show off to friends. The gun accidentally fired, with the shot hitting his locker.

“Thank God he didn’t hit anybody,” Harper Woods Police Chief James Burke said.

During the investigation, a search was conducted of the school, including lockers, and other weapons were discovered.

In total, three guns, three knives, a loaded magazine and narcotics were discovered.

Five boys and one girl, all from Harper Woods, were being processed at the police station late in the afternoon.

“It was obviously … very shocking,” Burke said, adding that the school staff called for the lockdown immediately and worked well with police. “The staff did a great job.”

Police plan to work with the district in whatever way they are needed to assist.

“It’s a pretty serious situation when three different kids have handguns in school,” Burke said.

“We’ve had very few incidents over there,” Burke said. “This certainly is out of character at this school.”
 

You can reach C & G Staff Writer April Lehmbeck at alehmbeck@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1043.