UPDATE: Two boys face gun possession charges after West Salem schools closed last Friday

UPDATE – 5:17 p.m., October 2nd

Two boys, 14 and 15, are charged with first-degree larceny and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with an incident near West Salem High School last Friday that triggered the closure of five schools, according to Jodi Merritt. Polk County Youth Director.

Original story below:

Police arrested two teenagers and seized a stolen gun last Friday after reports of an armed student near West Salem High School led to a lockdown at five schools.

Authorities provided few details about the incident, such as which school the boys attended or what charges they face in Polk County juvenile court.

According to Polk County District Attorney Aaron Felton, the boys, ages 14 and 15, were booked into the Yamhill County Juvenile Detention Center. Polk County often holds juveniles there under contract because it does not have its own juvenile facility.

Salem police and the Salem-Keizer School District received reports on the afternoon of Sept. 27 that “a student with a firearm may be near, but outside of, West Salem High School,” the agency said in a statement at the time Salem.

West, Straub Middle School and Kalapuya, Chapman Hill and Harritt elementary schools were subsequently placed on lockdown.

Classes were interrupted in the West. The students went into the classrooms, the doors were locked and the windows covered. Such precautions are generally taken when a school faces a threat outside the building but on or near campus.

Salem officers and Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies went searching for the student when they received reports that the student was on foot near the school. They also hired dog guards and used drones to find the student.

Salem police described only one suspect that day and did not confirm whether he was armed. But the agency has since announced that two students were involved and confirmed that officers found and confiscated a stolen firearm.

No one was injured at any of the schools and the lockdowns were lifted within 45 minutes on Friday.

Salem police spokeswoman Angela Hedrick did not know what school the boys attended, but said they were enrolled in the Salem-Keizer district.

Aaron Harada, a district spokesman, said Wednesday he had no information about which school the students were enrolled at. He previously declined to provide further details about Friday's incidents and referred questions to police.

Hedrick declined to provide further details about the incident, including what the boys are accused of. After a juvenile's preliminary hearing – the juvenile equivalent of an indictment – such information would have to come from the prosecutor's office, she said.

Felton said his office does not comment on pending litigation, “particularly a juvenile matter.”

Rich Robison, supervisor of the Polk County Juvenile Department's probation officer, did not immediately respond to a voice message seeking to clarify the allegations against the boys.

RELATED COVERAGE:

UPDATE: Report of an armed student outside West Salem HS leads to lockdown

Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.

Please just a moment– If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to the Salem Reporter if you haven't already. Work like this, carried out by local professionals, relies on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and register now – simple and secure: SUBSCRIBE.

Ardeshir Tabrizian has been covering criminal justice and housing for Salem Reporter since September 2021. An Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has crisscrossed the state. He has reported for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.