St. Paul middle school briefly placed on lockdown after parent misplaces gun

A middle school in St. Paul was temporarily placed on lockdown Tuesday morning after a parent misplaced a handgun.

St. Paul Police spokesman Steve Linders said a woman who dropped off an 11-year-old and 13-year-old at Murray Middle School noticed that the handgun she carried in her purse was missing and notified the school. The school then called the police and put the school on lockdown.

"During this time, all students remained safely in their classrooms and learning continued," Murray Middle School Principal Jamin McKenzie said in a letter to families.

Police said the gun was found by the parent a short time later in her vehicle’s glove box and had never been in the school. There were also no threats, and students were able to resume their normal schedule at 10 a.m., the school said.

McKenzie said the incident serves as a good reminder to not bring inappropriate items to school. His full letter to parents is below.

Dear Murray Middle School Families,

I’m writing to make you aware of an incident that happened at our school this morning. A parent of one of our students informed the Saint Paul Police Department (SPPD) about a potential missing handgun.

Upon learning about this information, staff immediately responded. In partnership with our district security team and SPPD, we followed our safety procedures. During this time, all students remained safely in their classrooms and learning continued.

The gun was later found off campus by the parent and Saint Paul Police and at no time was the weapon in our school building. There were no threats directed at anyone and no students were injured. Students were able to resume their normal schedule at approximately 10 a.m.

Guns are not allowed in any Saint Paul Public School. There are serious consequences for students who bring weapons to school. We will follow our discipline procedures as outlined in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.

Students are often aware of situations before adults, so please remind your child that it is important for them to report concerns to a trusted adult. This helps us take quick action to ensure the safety of all Murray Middle School students.

This serves as a good opportunity to remind your children not to bring inappropriate items to school. Please check your child’s backpack to ensure that dangerous items and non-educational items are left at home.

If you have any questions or other concerns about school, please call me at 651-293-8740. Thank you for supporting your child and Murray Middle School.

Sincerely,

Jamin McKenzie, Principal
Murray Middle School