Loaded .22 revolver found in six-year-old's backpack at Orange Elementary
Families of OES students not notified until after incident is over
On Monday afternoon, an instructional aide at Orange Elementary School helping children who arrived late to school found a loaded revolver in a six-year-old’s backpack. OES staff followed protocol and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office quickly provided support to the School Resource Officer at the school.
OES was put in “safe school” mode, meaning that the building was secured while law enforcement conducted an investigation. No one was hurt and the child reportedly had no plans to use the gun.
Families were not told about the incident until two hours after the gun was discovered at about 12:50 p.m. The mother of an OES student told me she received notification from OES at 2:53 p.m.
Since there was no immediate danger to anyone at the school, one could argue that law enforcement and the school division prevented panic by delaying notification until after things were more or less back to normal at OES. Still, it seems there was some pushback from people feeling they’d been kept in the dark.
The Sheriff’s Office released this statement on Monday evening and appeared to defend the timing of public notification:
As shared on our Facebook page, our School Resource Officer assigned to Orange Elementary School was notified around 12:50 p.m. Ensuring everyone’s safety in such situations is our top priority, and this process takes time.
While we cannot speak for the schools, we worked closely with the school staff to secure the premises. Once it was feasible, we provided information to the public. We also want to ensure that we provide accurate information.
We understand the desire for timely updates, but in situations like these, immediate communication is not always possible.
Our primary responsibility is to ensure the safety of the children and staff, which must come before notifying the public. Balancing these priorities is crucial, and our commitment is to protect first and inform second.
Complicating matters, the official statement included a quoted email announcement that the Sheriff’s Office apparently released at 2:50 p.m. Monday. That earlier announcement said the SRO was alerted to the gun’s discovery “prior to 12:30 p.m.” Monday. That statement noted, “No arrests have been made at this point, but the investigation is ongoing. All students at OES are safe at this time.”
Then, in a followup press release shared on Tuesday, Sheriff Jason Smith confirmed the time of the gun’s discovery: “An instructional assistant was helping a child who arrived late to school with getting items out of the child’s bookbag when the assistant found what appeared to be a firearm at approximately 12:50 p.m.”
Smith related the following narrative of events:
The instructional assistant immediately notified administration and the School Resource Officer of needing immediate assistance. Administration and the SRO quickly took possession and control of the firearm and book bag. The firearm was removed from the school. Additional Sheriff’s Office personnel responded to the school to ensure the safety of students and staff and to start conducting an investigation. The school was placed into a “Safe School Mode.”
Interviews were conducted at the school and late into the evening. It was determined that a 6-year-old child brought the firearm, which was identified as a loaded Heritage Rough Rider single action .22 cal ‘Cowboy style’ revolver. At this time, there is absolutely no indication that the child had any intention to use the firearm and additionally did not understand the severity of the item that was brought.
No threats or information about gun received in advance
For anyone wondering whether either the Sheriff’s Office or the school system had received a tip about a gun at the school, Smith’s statement on Tuesday put that to rest: “Until the instructional assistant located the firearm, neither the Sheriff’s Office nor the school system was aware of its presence and had not received any information or threat of any weapon on school property. Administration and the SRO responded promptly to the situation. The investigation is still ongoing, and we can assure the public that no stone will be left unturned at the conclusion of the investigation.”
In his statement on Tuesday, the sheriff offered this guidance to families:
Please have conversations with your children about the dangers of firearms and if they see one to “Stop, don’t touch it, and tell an adult.” Additionally, if they “See something, say something.” As parents and grandparents, we all have a responsibility as firearms owners to always secure our firearms and account for them. Additionally, the recommendation is to store ammunition in a separate location. Please check backpacks as well before your child goes out the door.
Superintendent Dan Hornick: “Our goal is to alert parents and guardians as quickly as possible”
In a message sent to families the evening of the incident, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dan Hornick wrote, “In response to the situation, OES went into a Safe School Mode, which helps secure classrooms and allows law enforcement and school administrators to investigate matters of concern. Our goal is to alert parents and guardians as quickly as possible anytime a school’s operating status is changed. Unfortunately, this type of notification was not sent to the OES community today. I would like to apologize for this error. As we continue to debrief this situation, we will use the findings to improve our processes.”
Hornick also wrote, “In light of recent events across our country, I ask that all parents and guardians exercise even greater diligence in ensuring that students do not bring weapons or other dangerous items to school. As a parent of two OCPS students, I plan to check my children's possessions more frequently and increase communication about school safety. By working together, we can provide the safe and dynamic learning environment our students deserve.”
So far in 2024, according to Everytown Research & Policy, there have been “at least 139 incidents of gunfire on school grounds, resulting in 42 deaths and 91 injuries nationally.” In 2023, the Everytown website states, there were “at least 158 incidents” and “45 deaths and 106 injuries nationally” due to gunfire on school grounds.
Last year, a Virginia woman was sentenced to two years in prison for child neglect, as a result of her six-year-old child shooting his teacher during class at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News. And earlier this month, a 14-year-old boy was arrested on four counts of murder after a shooting spree at a Georgia high school. His father also faces charges.
Orange Planning Commission invites public input on 20-year plan
The Town of Orange’s Planning Commission is seeking public input on the Town’s Comprehensive Plan. Anyone wanting to weigh in on the town’s 20-year plan may participate in the planning commission’s meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 23. The meeting will be at the Town of Orange Community Room, 235 Warren St.
Great weather, big crowds: Orange Street Festival scores a hit
If you like kettle corn, crab cake sandwiches and lemonade, Saturday’s Orange Street Festival was the place to be. And for those who wanted to give a potter’s wheel a whirl, buy a hat, or get a Bible question answered—well, the street festival offered all that, too.
When I made my rounds in the early afternoon, the crowds were huge. The annual rite of September attracts scads of people from nearby counties along with lots of locals. Here are some of the folks and scenes that caught my eye.
Getting steamed in Somerset
I didn’t make it to the Somerset Steam and Gas Party over the weekend, but Gary Jones did. The treasurer of the Rapidan Volunteer Fire Department sent me these photos of the 48th annual edition showcasing antique steam and gas engines. The beloved, old-timey gathering featured a parade, an antique car show, demonstrations by blacksmiths, and lots of nifty old engines.
Coming up
“The Thang”: Affrolachian On-Time Music Gathering, Sept. 19-22
Early voting begins, Sept. 20
Dolley Madison Quilters Guild 2024 Quilt Show, Sept. 21-22
Orangetoberfest 2024, Sept. 28
Obituaries
Emily L. Jenkins, 103, Orange; Robert Carl Pendleton, 78, of Orange; Brenda Louise Smith, 73, Locust Grove.
Guns in school backpacks have the potential for terrible tragedy. Everyone is weary and heartbroken over so many school shootings in our country. I'm glad that this incident has proven relatively harmless so far. I hope we can learn from this occasion and prevent any similar events with guns in OC schools in the future.