Wayne student accused of pointing BB gun at Trotwood students is still in custody

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

A 16-year-old Huber Heights Wayne High School student accused of pointing a BB gun at Trotwood-Madison High School students after Friday night's basketball game at Wayne remains in juvenile detention and is scheduled to be in court for his next court hearing next week.

Huber Heights police arrested the student following the incident, during which no shots were fired and no one was injured.

>> Student arrested after brandishing gun after Huber Heights-Wayne game

According to the preliminary police investigation, a fight between groups from both schools erupted in the parking lot after the game when the student from Wayne went to a vehicle. He told police he came back with the firearm and pointed it at the Trotwood students to break up the fight.

Police said the firearm looked real.

The student now has to answer to charges of delinquency by reason of illegal conveyance of a weapon and delinquency by reason of disorderly conduct.

A substitute teacher for Huber Heights schools said the incident represents a sad day for the district.

"Why did he think that was the way to resolve that situation?" the teacher, Victoria Berthe, asked News Center 7's Katy Andersen on Monday. "Why didn't he think to use my words? The first thing we teach these kids is to use their words."

School district officials alerted parents and guardians about the incident in a text Friday night, promising to discipline all students involved.

Monday afternoon the district issued a second statement: “This behavior is completely unacceptable. It angers all of us who know that the behavior exhibited by a few students does not in any way represent who we are as a school district or how our students comport themselves on a daily basis. We expect more from our students and we will do better.”

Also Monday, district officials said they will look to provide more proactive supports to students with high social and emotional needs.

The district is looking to increase support for its principals in managing student behaviors within the school buildings and is implementing social and emotional learning classes that aim to help students understand different perspectives, react appropriately to peer pressure and manage their own emotions and behavior in healthier ways, Zack Frink, communication specialist for the schools, said in a prepared statement.

"Furthermore, HHCS [Huber Heights City Schools] is actively researching and considering a behavior management approach to use throughout the district called Restorative Justice, which will help create a collaborative culture where the entire school community addresses harm and restores justice to any harm done to students," Frink said in the statement.

"We believe that this model will serve to improve our student culture from the inside out. It will take time to implement, but will ultimately lead us to a school community where all of our students feel safe and cared for every day," Frink said.

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