FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — A 6th grade student was taken into custody Thursday afternoon after bringing a replica firearm to Wilson Elementary School and later pointing it at officers, according to Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto.
Police say they received a call around 1:30 p.m. reporting that the student was armed and aiming the replica gun at the school office.
Officers, including members of the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC) tactical team, who happened to be working nearby, responded within minutes and confronted the student outside the school. Casto says the student pointed the replica gun at officers several times as they worked to keep him from getting closer to the campus.
Negotiators were called in, and officers were able to start a conversation with the student. After about 30 minutes, the student put the replica gun down and was taken into custody without further incident. He will receive medical treatment, according to police.
Chief Casto says the primary concern was ensuring students were safe and notifying parents that no one else was in danger. All students are safe.
Casto credited her officers for their calm response and training, saying, “They absolutely nailed it.”
Fresno Unified released a statement saying: “We are unable to share much at this moment but we can reiterate that the safety and well-being of our students and staff is our utmost priority. We take every incident seriously and follow very strict protocols that are designed to protect everyone on campus.”
Listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern.
