Superintendent addresses school gun incident

REDLANDS, Calif. — In a letter to families Friday, Redlands Unified School District Superintendent Juan Cabral addressed the discovery of a loaded handgun on the Moore Middle School campus and emphasized that school safety is a shared responsibility.

Cabral said a student’s decision to report seeing a bullet to a school safety officer led to a swift response by administrators and district safety personnel, who located a classmate in possession of a loaded firearm.

“We want to emphasize that school safety is a shared responsibility, and we are deeply grateful to the student who reported this situation to a safety officer,” Cabral wrote. “Their willingness to speak up allowed for an immediate response and played a critical role in ensuring the safety of our campus.”

The campus was placed on lockdown Thursday while Redlands Police Department officers and district safety personnel secured the school and conducted a search of campus.

"The situation was quickly contained, and at no time was there a direct threat to students or staff," Cabral said. "Once law enforcement confirmed the campus was safe, the lockdown was lifted and normal school operations resumed."

Police said the 12-year-old student brought the weapon from home and was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm on a school campus. The student’s parents were also arrested on suspicion of improper storage of a firearm. The investigation remains ongoing.

Cabral said the district is continuing to work with law enforcement and cannot share additional details due to student privacy laws.

He also noted that counseling and support services are available for students and staff and encouraged families to reach out if additional support is needed.

District officials held a community meeting Thursday evening to provide information and address concerns from families following the incident.