SALEM, Ore. — A firearm was found in the backpack of a 17-year-old student at Sprague High School in Salem yesterday (Tuesday) morning, when a metal detector alerted staff to its presence on the boy as he entered the building.

Staff conducted a search and notified the Salem Police Department after they found a handgun in the student’s backpack.

Patrol officers responded immediately to the alert and took the student into custody without incident.

Police say there was no indication that the student would have used the handgun, or that he had posed an active threat to students and staff members. According to the police, there was also no disruption to school activities.

Here is how local weapon detection and national school gunfire trends compare. Tidings Data Snapshot School Safety Sn

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