Parents can be held responsible in cases of attempted gun violence at schools, said Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown during a news conference Friday afternoon, just hours after a gun and ammunition were recovered from a student at East High School.
School resource officers received a photo of the student with a firearm through a tip on Friday morning, and they conducted a “comprehensive investigation” immediately, Brown said. When the student arrived at school, officers located the handgun and ammunition inside the student’s backpack.
The student, whose identity has not been released, was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake Valley Detention Center, police said.
“We need to stop allowing children to have such easy access to guns,” Brown said. “I’m urging everyone in our community to lock up your guns. We all have a responsibility in keeping our students and teachers safe.”
If parents know about their student bringing a gun to school or allow it to occur, they can be held responsible, Brown said. Earlier this month, the parents of the suspected shooter in Michigan’s Oxford High School shooting were charged with involuntary manslaughter.
“It all comes down to an investigation, but as parents, we do have a responsibility,” Brown said. “And yes, if you’re negligent in what you’re doing, or what you know, you could be charged.”
It remains unknown if the East High arrest Friday was connected to a social media challenge publicized on the video-sharing app TikTok, Brown said. The challenge warned of gun violence at schools across the country on Friday’s date, Dec. 17, and caused some schools to close out of caution.
Salt Lake City officers have now recovered two firearms from area high schools this week — the first from West High School on Monday — and Brown urged parents to have conversations with their children about reporting possible threats.
“It is not a crime to be a nosy parent,” Brown said. “Know what is in your kid’s backpack before they go to school. Know what they’re posting on social media.”
“Students, your safety is my No. 1 priority as police chief,” Brown continued. “If you find out about a threat, or if you know or come across a concerning social media post, report it immediately.”
As area schools go on winter break in the coming weeks, Salt Lake City School District Superintendent Timothy Gadson said parents should contact administrators or SLCPD if they come across concerning social media posts.
Leeson Taylor, the school district’s executive director of school leadership performance, said the situation Friday morning was helped by protocols from the district’s crisis management plan. Taylor is responsible for the principals and administration for the district, and said the plan includes a threat assessment and a chain of notification for administrators, along with an investigation.
“We make sure that anytime a parent is concerned, they can reach out to us, we’ll inform you what’s going on; we also let them know about our protocols and processes,” Taylor said. “If each parent will reach out to their own [children], then we can make sure that collectively as a village, that we can keep them safe.”
Parents with any concerns about their child’s safety at school can reach out to their school’s principal, the office of school leadership and performance, or the district’s public relations team, Taylor said.
