A student in a School District of Lancaster school that also houses elementary students was taken into custody Tuesday after police said the student brought a gun and drugs into the building.
Now the student, whom officials did not identify by age or gender, faces several felony charges.
According to Manheim Township Police:
Officers were dispatched shortly before 11:10 a.m. on Tuesday to the E.R. Martin School in the 200 block of Wabank Road in Lancaster Township for the report of a gun on school property. Manheim Township officers are contracted to police Lancaster Township.
E.R. Martin School houses students from kindergarten through eighth grade.
Investigators determined that a juvenile student brought a handgun to school in a backpack, along with a small amount of marijuana. The gun was unloaded and did not have any accompanying magazines or ammunition, but it was reported stolen in 2022.
The school was not placed on lock-down during the incident as the response of the staff “led to early discovery of the firearm” and allowed officers to respond without incident or placing others in danger. The school staff “took notice of irregularities” with the behavior of the student during a preliminary investigation of the incident.
Investigators said there was never a threat to the students, staff or the public.
“Staff were able to identify and isolate very quickly,” said Manheim Township Police Lt. Charles Melhorn Jr. “I can’t give enough compliments to the staff and how quickly they acted. Fantastic job by the staff.”
The juvenile suspect is being detained at the Lancaster County Youth Intervention Center. Charges in the incident include firearms not to be carried without a license, possession of weapon on school property, receiving stolen property and possession of a small amount of marijuana.
When asked how many times Manheim Township Police are requested to respond to a gun incident at a school housing elementary school students, Melhourn said, “It’s extremely rare.”
Staff writer Michael Yoder is an award-winning journalist who has been honored with several Keystone Press Awards for his investigative pieces.
