16-Year-Old Charged With Running Through High School With Loaded Handgun

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 16-year-old boy faces a serious charge after he allegedly ran through a St. Paul high school with a loaded handgun Wednesday.

According to the criminal complaint, the incident occurred Wednesday at around 3:30 p.m. at Humboldt High School. There, a school resource officer (SRO) was told by school employees that a 16-year-old was walking toward the school.

The school resource officer knew the teen as having multiple felony warrants for his arrest and that he is a suspect in another theft case, according to the complaint.

When the SRO yelled for the teen suspect to put his hands up, the teen initially complied, but he then attempted to flee. The teen ran into Humboldt High School, ran through the cafeteria, exited another door and ran through nearby residential yards. He was eventually detained by a resident.

When police arrived, they placed the teen under arrest and found a Smith and Wesson .380 Bodyguard firearm in his right front pocket. It was loaded with a round in the chamber and four additional rounds in the magazine.

The teen faces one delinquency felony count of possessing a dangerous weapon on school property.

School officials, who called the teen a former student, released a note to parents Thursday:

Dear Humboldt High School and Open World Learning Families,

I am writing to update you about a serious situation that occurred yesterday after school. Our school resource officer recognized a former student on school grounds - outside of the school - who should not have been on school property. When approached by the officer, the former student ran to the school's locked side doors and was let in by a group of students. The suspect ran through the building and out the other side within seconds.

Staff responded immediately by calling the Saint Paul Police Department and the district's Security and Emergency Management Department. The school went into a short lockdown that included moving students out of the hallways and keeping them in secured classrooms.

Upon exiting the building, the former student was arrested off of school grounds and police reported that he was carrying a firearm.

We take these situations seriously and will follow our discipline procedures for the students who broke the rules and let the former student inside.

Schools are safe places to be, and we strive to do everything it takes to make sure it stays that way. We also need your help. Maintaining a safe school environment is always a top priority and students are a key part of that. Please assure your child that it is important for them to report any concerns they have about school to a trusted adult.

If you have any questions or other concerns about school, please call me at 651-293-8600.

Thank you for supporting your child and your school.

Sincerely,
Michael Sodomka
David Gundale