Another expulsion at MTHS after student brings pellet gun to school

File photo of MTHS seen from Hawk Way. (By Doug Petrowski)

A student was emergency expelled from Mountlake Terrace High School this week after bringing a pellet gun to campus.

In a letter sent home to families on Friday, Jan. 6, school officials say the student was reported with a pellet gun at 11:25 a.m. Mountlake Terrace Police were called to campus and took the student into custody at 11:35 a.m. He was booked into the Denney Juvenile Justice Center and was emergency expelled from school.

The student told officers he had no intention of using the gun on campus.

“That does not diminish the severity of this student’s complete lack of judgement,” the letter states.

In light of this event and an event earlier this week, when a student was emergency expelled after posting a photo of bullets on Instagram with the caption “be prepared,” Mountlake Terrace High School will host a community forum on Monday, Jan. 9 at 6:30 p.m. inside the school’s theater. There, school administrators will be available to discuss student safety.

The full content of the letter sent home to parents on Friday is below:

Dear Mountlake Terrace Families –

We want you to have the facts regarding an issue we quickly investigated this morning. At approximately 11:25 a.m. it was reported that a male MTHS student had what was believed to be a gun or a pellet gun in his backpack. Mountlake Terrace Police responded in minutes and immediately had the student in observation, taking him into custody without incident at approximately 11:35 a.m. Police found a pellet gun in the student’s backpack.

The student told law enforcement he had no intent of using it at school. That does not diminish the severity of this student’s complete lack of judgement. The student was arrested and has been booked into the Denney Youth Center. He has also been emergency expelled from school.

In light of the events from earlier in the week, we believe that a broader conversation about school safety is necessary to answer questions you might have and to give you an opportunity to express concerns. We will host an MTHS Community Forum on Monday, January 9th at 6:30 p.m. in the Theater. You are encouraged to attend and meet with MTHS Administrators to discuss these important topics.

Greg Schwab, Principal
Peter Schurke, Assistant Principal
Dan Falk, Assistant Principal

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