A Thanksgiving Week Gun Count

Thanksgiving week is usually slow news-wise. Schools are closed for part of it, police departments run lighter staffing, and even the worst actors seem to take a few days off. Or so we’d like to think. But even in a short school week, at least three guns still managed to make their way into American schools. Two were thankfully unloaded, and all were thankfully intercepted before anyone was hurt.

And, as always, these are just the ones I heard about. For every public incident, there are near misses, quiet confiscations, and cases that never make it out of local email blasts to parents.

Here’s what did surface.

On November 24th, Tremont Police in Illinois reported that an unloaded gun was found inside a student’s backpack, which was stored in a locker at Tremont Middle School. Administrators had already isolated the student before discovering the weapon around 9:45 a.m.

According to police, staff secured the firearm immediately and turned it over to the school resource officer. No threats were made, and the student never got the chance to access the weapon before it was removed.

Same day, different state.

In Omaha, Nebraska, a Beadle Middle School student brought an unloaded handgun to campus, and officials say the child had no ammunition. The principal called it a “very poor decision,” which is putting it mildly.

Police and the school resource officer responded quickly. The student will face consequences, and the school day continued as normal.

On November 25th, staff at the Winston-Salem Street School in North Carolina discovered a gun during a precautionary check prompted by a safety concern. Officers say an 18-year-old student possessed the weapon.

He was arrested and charged with carrying a concealed gun, possession of a gun on educational property, and possession of a stolen gun. Bond was set at $15,000.

If this is what a “slow” Thanksgiving week looks like, imagine a full one.

Three guns. Three schools. Three states.

Two unloaded. One stolen. One adult, two minors. All incidents avoided tragedy, but all crossed the line where tragedy becomes possible.

And again, these are just the ones that surfaced in the news.

People love to say, “Well, nothing happened.” But something did happen. Three guns crossed school thresholds. That’s the line. Everything after that is damage control.

And next week, with students back in seats and the news cycle running at full speed, the pace will pick back up.

Stay tuned, although I wish I didn’t have to say that.

(Sources)