Boardman student brings gun on the bus

Authorities: Pistol found in backpack during search

Staff report

BOARDMAN

A Boardman High School student was arrested Wednesday after police said he brought an unloaded gun on the school bus.

According to police reports, a student on the bus ride home with Kamar McCord, 17, told police that McCord showed the gun to another student and said, “They wouldn’t find [the gun] unless they had a drug dog. I’ll shoot up the bus.”

Superintendent Tim Saxton said he does not know if McCord brought the gun into the school building. The building is not equipped with metal detectors.

“Kids know best. If we teach them to, if they see something, say something, it will be reported quicker than any technology we could buy,” said Saxton.

After speaking with the student who reported the incident, police, including school resource officer Paul Poulos, located McCord at the public library on Market Street and Midlothian Boulevard. When searching McCord’s backpack at his home, they discovered a pistol inside with the serial number removed. No ammunition was located inside the bag.

McCord was arrested on charges of possession of a defaced firearm and illegal possession of a deadly weapon in a school safety zone.

Detective Sgt. Michael Sweeney said that a community announcement was not necessary, since “there was no longer any threat.”

A news release from Boardman schools sent Thursday morning states a suspension and expulsion is pending, and that the teen is in the Martin P. Joyce Juvenile Justice Center.

In his response to the incident, Saxton focused on what worked, namely, the student resource officer’s strong relationships with students.

“It was solved quickly because of the relationships [Poulos] invested in,” said Saxton.

Parents were informed about the incident via a phone call from Principal Cindy Fernback on Thursday morning.

The call asked parents for their “cooperation in not spreading misinformation or rumors on social media.”

Parents took to Facebook to share their fear about the incident.

“I want our school to be safe. I expect one or two points of entry, metal detectors, maybe a parent safety committee. ... We need to prevent it, because next time we could be national news,” said Donielle Fox, who has two daughters at Boardman schools.