Gun found at St. Paul high school after social media post

A tip related to a social media post led to the discovery of a gun at a St. Paul high school on Tuesday.

A letter from Harding Senior High School Principal Tony Chlebecek to families says staff received the tip Tuesday morning and called in police to search the school. During that search, officers found and seized a gun.

Chlebecek says the school followed its safety procedures and implemented a “hold in place” as soon as the report was made. No threats were made and nobody was hurt.

St. Paul Police said security already had two students detained in an office when officers arrived. Officers then found a handgun in a 15-year-old girl’s backpack.

She then kicked an officer during a minor struggle but was ultimately taken into custody and booked into the juvenile detention center for assault of an officer and gun possession.

The principal noted serious consequences for students who bring a weapon to school and urged parents to reiterate that to their children and properly store any weapons in the home.

“Students are often aware of situations before adults, so please remind your child that it is important for them to immediately report concerns to a trusted adult. This helps us take quick action to ensure the safety of all students,” Chlebecek’s letter to families added.

Several guns have recently been found at metro-area schools, including two at Roseville Area High School, one at the North Education Center in New Hope and one at Como Park Senior High. A student was also found in possession of a gun at Harding last year and a student was fatally stabbed there back in February.