Gun-toting teens found at two high schools

Friday, May 29, 1998 | 9:54 a.m.

The Clark County School District is becoming gun-shy.

Two teenagers were involved in gun-toting incidents Thursday at different high schools -- one at Bonanza and the other at Cimarron-Memorial.

One student was in custody and the other, who was at large, has been identified by police and was expected to be arrested today.

The first incident involved a 17-year-old dropout from Western High School who was seen on the Bonanza grounds with a handgun around 8 a.m., School Police Sgt. Ken Young said.

The second involved a teenager who reportedly pointed a gun at a fellow student about 2 p.m. at Cimarron.

"One student walked up to another student and pointed a small-caliber handgun at him," Young said of the Cimarron incident. "Words were exchanged and the student with the gun fled.

"Officers located him on the grounds of a nearby apartment complex."

The teen was taken to Family Youth Services, where he will be detained until juvenile authorities determine whether he should be released or held until a court date.

Young praised quick action by school police for stopping the two incidents from escalating into something more serious. Last Friday, a Springfield, Ore., 15-year-old went on a shooting rampage in his high school cafeteria, leaving two teens dead and 24 injured.

Young said a student at Bonanza reported the teenager carrying a gun on campus. When the officer made visual contact with the suspect, the armed teen fled.

"The officer chased him on foot, and several others came to assist," Young said, but the youth escaped.

Young said they were able to determine his identity and went to his home and talked to his parents.

"It's still unknown why he was there with a gun," Young said.

An estimated 40 guns have been confiscated on district campuses this school year.

Young said the district confiscated an average of 70 guns per year about five years ago, but that number was down to 52 last year.

"It looks like we will have about that many this year," Young said.

The only fatal shooting of a student on a Clark County campus took place in 1990 when a teenager was killed in a school cafeteria. Two years ago a student was wounded in a drive-by shooting.

Earlier this year, three students were arrested after firing shots in the air in an alley near Vail Pittman Elementary School and then walking onto campus with the weapon.

Young said if anyone has information about weapons being carried onto campus or any other crimes, the tip hotline is 799-0228. An anonymous message may be left 24 hours a day.