Investigation continues into gun found inside Longdale Elementary School

GLEN ALLEN, Va. (WWBT) - A gun scare at one Glen Allen elementary school is raising concerns.

Officials say a student found a weapon inside Longdale Elementary Schools’ bathroom trash can Tuesday afternoon.

Henrico Police have confirmed with NBC12 it was a firearm, but did not reveal what kind.

The incident is still an ongoing investigation.

NBC12 worked to get answers from school leaders on Wednesday.

Henrico County Public Schools’ Superintendent,the Doctor Amy Cashwell was not available to talk on camera with us. However, her office said school leaders are figuring out how they plan to deploy school security measures across the school division.

The district is currently analyzing data from a community survey about weapon scanners in schools.

School leaders are expected to hear more about these plans at next week’s school boarding meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 25th.

In a written statement, Henrico County Public Schools’ School Board Chair Kristi Kinsella, said quote:

“As school board members and parents, we remain focused on actions to keep our students and employees safe at all schools across Henrico County. When reflecting on the incident at Longdale Elementary School, we are incredibly grateful that the situation was resolved quickly and safely. We applaud the courageous student who saw something concerning and reported it to a school administrator immediately. While we might naturally think about equipment for safety, we also know that school culture and creating trusting relationships so that students feel comfortable reporting concerns is also an essential part of all safety plans.
As a school board, we are working closely with Dr. Cashwell and the HCPS Safety team to move forward with urgency to determine what how we might deploy weapons detectors and other resources to make the greatest impact. We look forward to receiving an update and recommendation from school administration at next week’s school board meeting. We will, of course, communicate any plans and timelines with students, families and staff as soon as possible.
We encourage families to continue to talk with their children about responsible gun ownership and the dangers of handling weapons without adult supervision and proper training. HCPS families and the larger community are critical partners in these conversations and in ensuring that weapons are safely secured and stored in homes. Our students are most safe when we all work together.”
Kristi Kinsella, School Board Chair of Henrico County Public Schools

In the meantime, questions continue to linger around why a person would put a gun in the school trash can to begin with.

NBC12′s Safety Expert Michael Jones, who’s also been in law enforcement for three decades, weighs in on the matter.

Jones is not a part of this investigation, but says in his experience, he’s seen this scenario play out for specific reasons.

“Usually, it’s put in a trash can for somebody else to come by and pick it up later because who goes in a trash can in the bathroom, because who goes into the trash can in the bathroom? Nobody,” Jones said.

Jones says he’s also seen weapons placed in fire extinguisher call boxes in schools.

He says it’s very unlikely someone was trying to dispose of the weapon.

As Henrico Police continue to investigate, VCU Child Psychologist Dr. Jarrod Leffler is urging parents to sit down and have difficult conversations with their children about guns and safety.

He says he’s currently seeing an uptick in anxiety and depression among kids rooted from the covid-19 pandemic. “Let the child feel open and invited and allow them to talk and feel supported. Avoid distractions, maybe in a car ride, maybe at bedtime when you’re not on your phone or device.

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