El Paso Co. Sheriff calls for parental oversight after 3 minors bring airsoft guns to school
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - The El Paso County Sheriff's Office says they're still working to figure out why three students brought airsoft guns to Horizon Middle School, but say there wasn't a nefarious purpose.
The sheriff's office is asking parents to check their students' backpacks and monitor their social media feeds to prevent an incident like this from happening in the first place.
RELATED: EPC Sheriff: D49 middle school students charged for bringing airsoft guns to school
"While these were toy airsoft guns, they could still instill fear and panic in students within the school," El Paso County Sheriff's Office Sergeant Kurt Smith told KRDO13 Investigates.
The three students, ages 11, 11, and 12, are each facing two misdemeanor counts of interference with staff, faculty, or students of educational institutions and disorderly conduct.
Sgt. Smith wouldn't go into details about what led to the misdemeanor charges but said in a statement, "We are trying to let the public know this behavior will not be tolerated and their behavior does cause fear even if their intentions were not nefarious (as in a larger plan)."
RELATED: District 49 considering adding portable metal detectors to secure schools during threats
KRDO13 Investigates reached out to D49 to ask if this week's incident would lead to them expediting the installation of metal detectors at Horizon Middle School and other schools throughout the district.
A spokesperson provided us with the following statement:
The situation at Horizon Middle School has not created an adjustment to our current timeline. As Dr. Fletcher previously shared, D49 has not and will not deploy metal detector technology until the Board of Education votes on the corresponding policy, which will take place in October.
D49 Spokesperson
