A disassembled gun was found in a Little Rock Central High School student’s backpack Tuesday morning during a daily random search, two weeks after a gun found in another student’s bag led to beefed up security measures.
The search found the gun parts and a small amount of marijuana, Central High School principal Nancy Rousseau wrote in an email to parents Tuesday, but the student never threatened anyone with the weapon.
Security confiscated the firearm, but the email did not say how the student was disciplined. State law requires that any student found with a gun on campus be expelled for a full calendar year, according to the Little Rock School District’s handbook.
On Nov. 1, Central High security officers discovered a handgun in another student's backpack, prompting Rousseau to ask school district leaders about implementing further security measures on campus, including a requirement for transparent backpacks and installing additional weapon scanners at entrances.
On Tuesday, Rousseau wrote, school district and Central High employees were set to attend a previously planned safety and security meeting to discuss strategies with city leaders, police and fire department personnel, Central High School Neighborhood Association members, religious leaders and parents.