A student at Johnson Senior High School in St. Paul was arrested Tuesday after bringing a gun on the first day of school.
In a letter to parents, Principal Jamil Payton said the gun was discovered after school administrators received a tip that a student may have brought a weapon to class. No incident with the gun occurred, and nobody was injured.
Police were called to Johnson, which is located on Arcade Street close to Ivy Avenue, at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday and found that the student and the gun were already secured, St. Paul police spokesperson Alyssa Arcand said.
Payton acknowledged that the incident was concerning but said the district’s safety protocols worked as intended.
“Students are often aware of situations before adults, so please remind your child that it is important for them to immediately report concerns to a trusted adult,” Payton said. “This helps us take quick action to ensure the safety of all students and staff.”
The incident comes almost a week after two children were fatally shot and 21 other people – most of them children – were injured at Annunciation Catholic Church and School during its first week of class.
In the aftermath of that shooting, Gov. Tim Walz announced that 20 state troopers and Department of Natural Resources officers would provide additional security for Minneapolis schools and places of worship.
The St. Paul Police Department also announced it offered to provide additional security to all public and private schools in the city until Sept. 5.
