Teen admits to bringing loaded gun to Hamilton school

A Hamilton Freshman School student has admitted to bringing a loaded gun to school in December.

The 16-year-old boy appeared in Butler County Juvenile Court on Wednesday on charges of illegal conveyance of a deadly weapon at school and receiving stolen property, both fourth-degree felonies.

He pleaded true, which is the equivalent of guilty in adult court, to the illegal conveyance charge, and the prosecution dismissed the receiving stolen property charge, according to Rob Clevenger, juvenile court administrator.

The student brought a loaded .25-caliber handgun to a city school on Dec. 19, according to Hamilton police.

FIRST REPORT: Loaded gun on freshman school student was stolen, police say

Visiting Judge Thomas Lipps sentenced the teen to the Butler County Juvenile Rehabilitation Center, which includes a program that will take about five months to complete. When released, the judge ordered him to be placed on intensive probation.

The teen has been held in the county juvenile detention center since December.

According to a letter sent to parents and guardians of the school’s students, school officials “immediately put the student in the custody of our (Hamilton Police) School Resource Officer (SRO) and standard safety procedures were conducted that resulted in the removal of the weapon and student from the building within minutes of the discovery.”

After that, police and school officials determined “there was no other viable threat present and no lockdown was deemed necessary,” according to the letter, signed by Nancy Hulshuit, the school’s principal. “The school resumed on our regular schedule.”

MORE: Deputy able to release K-9 from cruiser during struggle with suspect 

About the Author