Alaska News

Juneau boy who took pellet gun to school could face reckless endangerment charges

Juneau police are reporting a 13-year-old middle school student may face reckless endangerment charges after bringing a BB pistol to school.

The Juneau Police Department said in a press release it got a call Monday from a parent whose child had seen a student at school with a pistol.

Officers interviewed the 13-year-old about what he witnessed, and he reportedly relayed that he'd been attending Saturday school at Floyd Dryden Middle School when another 13-year-old boy showed him a pistol.

Lt. David Campbell said the boy claimed the BB gun was a real firearm, but there were no threats. "It wasn't pointed at anyone," he said.

Officers called the school and identified a suspect, then obtained a search warrant for his house.

Later Monday, police went to the boy's home and spoke with him and his parents. The pistol was located, and police discovered the weapon "turned out to be a very realistic looking BB pistol," the press release says.

The boy told officers he wanted to show off the gun at school, according to JPD. Police seized two BB pistols as evidence; they conferred with the Juneau District Attorney's Office and decided to leave the boy in his parents' care, Campbell said.

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However, the case was forwarded to the Johnson Youth Center for consideration of reckless endangerment charges. The school was notified of the incident.

Campbell said the department often receives calls about BB guns. The generally nonlethal firearms are an issue when they look realistic, he said, because people react accordingly, which can create dangerous situations.

Reach Jerzy Shedlock at jerzy@alaskadispatch.com.

By JERZY SHEDLOCK

jerzy@alaskadispatch.com

Jerzy Shedlock

Jerzy Shedlock is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2017.

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