Staff report
A perceived gun threat last week concerning Lowry High School ultimately led to the arrest of a juvenile, according to law enforcement officials.
Officials with the Winnemucca Police Department updated their social media April 29 while events transpired, assuring the community and parents through multiple posts throughout the day that rumors of a gun on campus were unfounded. Photos of the student holding the weapon had circulated the preceding weekend on social media, leading some students to fear that the weapon had been brought to LHS.
"We would like to make it clear that there was never a gun on the Lowry High School campus," the WPD posted April 29. "The photo in question was taken over the weekend, not on the Lowry campus. The photo was not brought to the School District or Police Department’s attention until Monday morning after school was in session. Students were interviewed on campus as that is where they were located."
Officials said no threat was made, "but as these situations can be distorted by fear or panic, some students believed there to be a gun on the Lowry High campus."
Officials said that as soon as the information was made known to school staff, all protective measures were followed.
"The subjects of the photo were located, searched, and questioned," said WPD officials. "They said they were messing around when they took the photo and it was only a BB gun. The BB gun was located at one of the student’s house. There was no gun on the Lowry High Campus."
As a result of the investigation, however, a known male juvenile was arrested and charged with the following crimes: 200.471.1a2- Intentionally placing another person in reasonable apprehension of immediate bodily harm; 200.471.2b- Assault with use of deadly weapon; 392.910- Interference with persons peaceably assembled within school; 392.915- Threatening to cause bodily harm or death to pupil or school employee by means of oral, written or electronic communication.