Crime and Courts

14-year-old appears in court, charged with taking guns to school

Posted: Jan 28, 2013 12:47 PM by Judy Slate and John Sherer
Updated: Jan 28, 2013 1:15 PM

VIRGINIA CITY - A 14-year-old boy appeared in Madison County Court in Virginia City Monday morning, charged with taking two handguns to school in Harrison last Friday.

The boy is facing juvenile charges of felony criminal endangerment. He appeared in court with both of his parents. The court entered a plea of "not true" on behalf of the boy. In juvenile court, true or not true pleas replace guilty or not guilty pleas used in adult courts. If convicted, the youth could remain in juvenile detention until he reaches age 18.

Madison County Attorney Chris Christianson says the boy took a loaded .357 handgun and an unloaded .22 handgun to school. Harrison Public School Superintendent Fred Hofman told us that right after classes let out for the day, shortly after 3 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 25, a student advised Hofman that she heard that another student had a gun in his backpack. The student was identified and was approached by Hofman.
In a written statement, Hoffman says a student told him that he had two handguns, one loaded and one unloaded in his backpack.

Hoffman says the situation did not call for a lockdown, because school had already been released. The student's parents and 911 were called. The student was cooperative, Hofman says.

Madison County Sheriff's deputies responded to the scene. An investigation by the school's administration and law enforcement ensued and the student was taken into custody.

Currently the boy is being held at the Galen secure juvenile detention center in Deer Lodge. He's scheduled to return to court on Feb. 25.