RIPLEY, W.Va. — Two teenage brothers are behind bars after a stolen gun wound up on a Jackson County school bus with an apparent plot to target at least one individual.
“Quite honestly, I don’t think the general public can appreciate just how close this was to actually happening,” said Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger.
According to the sheriff, the firearm, a .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun, was stolen during a home break-in last weekend. The suspect in the theft is age 16 and was taken into custody. The gun wound in the hands of his 15 year old brother who had it in his backpack with plans to shoot somebody at Ripley Middle School Wednesday.
Listen to “Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger” on Spreaker.
“It does appear there was a legitimate effort made to not only bring this gun to school, but to carry out a plan to shoot and execute at least one person,” Mellinger said.
The intended target, according to investigators, was at Ripley Middle School which was the final destination for the bus. However, the plan was revealed on the bus ride and a concerned student got involved and scuttled the plan.
“The gun was actually brandished on the school bus and there was a student there who had the presence of mind to grab the magazine and secure it from the weapon. They took that magazine to the school bus driver,” the sheriff said.
The driver immediately went into action and evacuated students from the bus, with the exception of the suspected student with the firearm. It happened as the bus was making a planned stop at Evans Elementary School where students and staff were entering the school and preparing for the day. Mellinger said it was unfortunate timing and potentially exposed 400 more victims.
“Initially we thought it might have targeted Evans Elementary, but it turned out it was just the timing of where the story unfolded. Ripley Middle School was the intended target,” he said.
Deputies were able to apprehend the 15-year old boy without incident and secure the weapon. His older brother was also taken into custody as more was learned. Both now face charges in the juvenile court system.
A Jackson County student is in custody following a gun being in his possession on a school bus. Blaine Hess, Jackson County School Superintendent, gives as much context to this story as possible to @HoppyKercheval. WATCH: https://t.co/yCFQ3nDJuy pic.twitter.com/0nINPg3Lno
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) April 6, 2022
Jackson County Superintendent of School’s Blaine Hess issued a statement praising the student who acted to thwart the plan:
“The training of ‘see something, say something’ certainly paid off today. We train and rely on our students and staff to be alert to potential safety threats. This situation is an example of that training working as intended. I appreciate the quick response of school administrators and our Sheriff’s Department to ensure the safety of our students and staff.”
Jackson County Schools issue statement on the discovery of a student with a firearm and ammo on a school bus this morning. pic.twitter.com/tTAbTX10jj
— Chris Lawrence (@WVOutdoors) April 6, 2022
The sobering incident was a reminder for Mellinger.
“This is the type of incident that every school administrator and every parent fears. This was very, very close to being another headline on the six-o’clock national news and Ripley, West Virginia could have been that headline tonight. Fortunately, it ended as well as you could have possibly hoped for.”