FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas — A student was caught with a handgun Wednesday at a high school near Sienna in Fort Bend County.
When Almeta Crawford High School officials heard that the student had a gun, they said a campus officer immediately pulled the student out of class, searched them and found the unloaded handgun.
School officials said they pursued criminal charges and removed the student from campus although it's unclear what charges the student would face.
Keeping students safe
School administrators and campus officers said they're hard at work trying to keep kids safe.
“Well, we already have the safety measures in place for gun safety," Fort Bend ISD Superintendent Dr. Christie Whitbeck said.
In an Aug. 10 sit-down interview with KHOU 11, Whitbeck addressed the need for more resources on all campuses to keep everyone safe. Whitbeck said funding is only allotted for officers at the district’s middle and high schools.
"What we would like to get to is an officer at every campus, but there was a safety allotment given but it's not enough to cover even half so we've got to get creative and work with our school board to enhance that," Whitbeck said.
It's a task proving to be easier said than done.
"One of the things that's a challenge for every school district is the applicant pool, there's just not a strong applicant pool, and if you ask your city entities and your sheriff entities, they're going to tell you the same thing," Whitbeck said.
It’s unclear what charges, if any the student will face.
In recent years there have been calls for the district to add metal detectors, which Whitbeck said would create a false sense of security because there are too many doors and entryways to the school for students and staff to access.
Here's a statement from Fort Bend ISD:
"An unloaded handgun was found at Crawford High School today (Wednesday, August 16) inside a student’s backpack. When the report was received, school administration and the campus officer immediately removed the student from the classroom, conducted a search, and confiscated the unloaded handgun. Criminal charges are being pursued and the student is no longer on campus. We are thankful this matter was resolved without incident and the community is safe."