Oak Ridge High School is pictured above.
A stolen, loaded .357 magnum revolver was seized from the car of a student who had been causing a disturbance at Oak Ridge High School on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.
Police officers also found marijuana packaged for resale and suspected drug money exceeding $950 in the car of the unidentified 17-year-old male, who was arrested and taken to Juvenile Court in Clinton, the Oak Ridge Police Department said.
In a separate incident earlier Wednesday afternoon, a folding stainless steel knife was seized from a male high school student during an altercation on a school bus.
Police were investigating that incident, reported to have occurred at about 2:47 p.m. Wednesday, when ORPD School Resource Officer Sherrill Selby was sent to the high school in response to a juvenile student causing a disturbance during a disciplinary meeting with high school staff. Selby and the staff learned that the boy could be armed or have a weapon in his car. Selby detained him in the disciplinary hearing and called for backup.
Three officers responded and were on the scene within minutes, the police department said. The gun and the drugs were both seized during a search of the boy’s car.
Officers had responded to the knife incident earlier in the afternoon, after the Oak Ridge Schools Transportation Department notified the ORPD that they had seized the weapon.
Police officers responded to the Transportation Department, secured the knife, and started an aggravated assault investigation, the press release said.
“Initial reports indicate a juvenile male high school student allegedly threatened one or two other juvenile male high school students with a folding stainless steel knife during a verbal dispute,” the release said. “Upon seeing this altercation, the bus driver secured the knife and allowed all students to exit the bus at their stops.”
The police department has identified the suspect and victims and is working with the schools to identify more witnesses, the release said.
It said both incidents are under investigation, and no further information will be released.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
Note: This story was last updated at 6:15 p.m.
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