Hawaii middle school student arrested after allegedly bringing firearm to campus

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Kapolei Middle School went into lockdown Thursday morning after school officials said a student brought a gun to school.

HPD Chief Joe Logan Logan declined to release any details on the type of gun that was recovered, but said it belonged to a family member. He confirmed the child was arrested on multiple firearms offenses.

“We are taking this opportunity to remind all gun owners .. to take the necessary steps to ensure all guns are stored safely,” he said, adding if the school hadn’t taken quick action, “we would be having a very different news conference right now.”

In a letter sent out to parents, the state Department of Education said the incident happened around 8:30 a.m. when the school’s administration received reports of a student allegedly showing other students a firearm.

The school was immediately placed on lockdown out of an abundance of caution and the item was confiscated.

The lockdown was lifted at 9:50 a.m.

The DOE says a firearm violation is a Class A student misconduct offense and that any student in possession of a firearm on campus faces dismissal from school for one calendar year.

The school urged parents to discuss the seriousness of this issue with their child and to remind them about contraband items that may be harmful and pose health and safety risk to themselves or to others.

“Please do your part by securing dangerous items at home to prevent easy access,” Principal Bryan Rankie wrote, in the letter. He also emphasized remaining vigilant and the importance of speaking up about potential threats.

This story will be updated.

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