Ethan A. Chase student arrested with firearm at school

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Menifee Police today announced the arrest of an Ethan A. Chase Middle School student who they say was found in possession of a gun at school on Wednesday.

Police were contacted by school administrators after a student reported that another student possibly had a firearm on campus, according to a Menifee Police Department news release. A search of the suspected student’s backpack led to the discovery of an unloaded gun. There were no threats made to the school or other students on campus by the suspect, and the campus was not placed on lockdown during the incident, police said.

Following the initial investigation, the student was arrested for felony possession of a firearm on school grounds. The student was booked into custody at the Riverside County Juvenile Detention Center. Additional evidence discovered by school staff was turned over to MPD officers.

In an email sent out to parents Wednesday night, the school administration said that “while we cannot provide detailed information about the investigation to protect the privacy of our students, we can share that an arrest has been made as a result of MPD’s investigation.”

The email went on to say that “at no time was our school community under imminent threat … We will continue to work closely with law enforcement to ensure the ongoing safety and well-being of everyone in our school.”

Menifee PD Captain Dave Gutierrez said police found no connection between Wednesday’s arrest and a threat of violence at the school made on social media on Tuesday morning. That threat, which was announced to parents in a school email Tuesday night, was considered not credible by police after an individual involved was interviewed, Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez said an investigation is being conducted to determine where and how the student obtained the firearm.