Student Taken into Custody After Handgun Reported on Bonita High School Campus
No threats were made, and no students or staff were injured.
Updated: 9:55 a.m. Feb. 14
Note from the publisher: These aren't the kinds of stories we love sharing, but we believe it's important to be a source of fact-checked information for our community. We know there are still more questions than answers at this point, and we will continue to follow up with BUSD and LVPD. We're working on a more comprehensive story about school safety. We invite parents and students to email newstips@lavernedaily.org and share their perspectives with us.
A student was taken into custody Friday after bringing a handgun onto the campus of Bonita High School, according to a message sent to families by Principal Kenneth J. Ritchie.
In a ParentSquare message sent at 10:59 a.m., Ritchie said school administrators received a report earlier in the day that a student was in possession of a handgun on campus. The school immediately contacted the La Verne Police Department, which responded to investigate.
Ritchie said the report was confirmed to be accurate. He said no threats were made toward any individuals, and the student was taken into custody and removed from campus. The weapon was secured by police without incident.
“At no point was the weapon discharged, and no students or staff members were harmed,” Ritchie wrote.
An administrator at Bonita Unified School District confirmed that Ritchie sent the message.
The incident remains under investigation, according to a Friday press release from the La Verne Police Department. Police said that after confirming there were no additional threats to campus safety, classes continued as normal. Officers remained on campus as a precaution alongside school and district administrators.
Anyone with additional information related to this incident is encouraged to contact the La Verne Police Department at (909) 596-1913.
Resources for Families
Students, staff and families can access mental health resources for free through Care Solace. Care Solace is an online resource with a live 24/7 concierge that helps individuals find local mental health programs and counseling services.
Mental health counselors are also available to students at district schools. Call your school’s office for more information.
We will update this information when/if we get any additional information.
Disclosure: La Verne Daily News' editor has children who attend schools in the Bonita Unified School District.
La Verne Daily News
