KENT COUNTY, Mich. — A handgun was discovered by students in a Kenowa Hills High School bathroom Wednesday, according to a letter sent home to parents by the district's superintendent.
The handgun was discovered in the bathroom after school hours by two students who quickly told school staff.
Superintendent Gerald Hopkins told parents in the letter that the bathroom was immediately secured and the Kent County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) was called to investigate.
The gun, officials say, was found to belong to a Kent County Marine Officer who had been teaching boater safety to students.
"It was ultimately determined that the firearm located in the bathroom belonged to one of our part-time marine patrol officers who was there teaching a boater safety course," KCSO Captain Joel Roon said. "That officer has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the internal investigation."
In his letter, Hopkins heralded the students' response upon finding the weapon.
"We are very thankful for the quick and highly responsible actions taken by the two students who reported this concerning discovery. Their swift action allowed administrators to take immediate measures to ensure a safe outcome," Hopkins wrote.
Similarly, it was a response Roon described as "picture-perfect."
"When the firearm was located, the student actually didn't touch it, left it right where it lay, he backed out of the area, and from a safe distance, he was able to contact an adult to come into the area who summoned the police to ultimately secure the firearm," Roon said.
The superintendent said that the results of the investigation will be shared by KCSO once it is completed.
"We understand that incidents like these can be alarming. KHPS and the Sheriff's Office want to assure you that we take safety very seriously and are committed to maintaining open communication with our school community. We appreciate your continued support and cooperation as we work together to ensure the safety of our school," Gerald wrote.
In addition to Roon's comments, KCSO also provided a short statement about the incident, saying the following:
"Around 4:25 PM yesterday evening, the Kent County Sheriff's Office responded to the Kenowa Hills High School after a firearm belonging to a KCSO Marine officer was located in the boys bathroom. Initial information is that the officer used the restroom and inadvertently left his firearm when he left.
The Kent County Sheriff's Office regrets this incident happened and has initiated a full investigation. The findings will be shared with Kenowa Hills School administrators."
Roon also said, however, the situation is a reminder to the Sheriff's staff as they handle their weapons.
On top of the investigation into what exactly led up to the gun being left on the floor Wednesday, Roon said the office will now need to assess what they need to do going forward to stop this from happening again - accidental or not.
"Obviously, anytime something like this happens, we have to self-assess," Roon said. "We have to look at internal policies and procedures, laws, general practice, culture. We assess all of these things to make sure that we have the pieces in place to prevent something like this from happening again."
"We're thankful for a safe outcome in this case, and we're gonna do everything we can to make sure it doesn't happen again," Roon said.
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