Published: June 03, 2009 11:31 am      

Student arrested for firearm possession at JHS campout

Police say students were drinking at event, not arrested

One student was arrested at Jeffersonville High School on Monday night after a shotgun was found in the back of a vehicle.

Jeffersonville Police Department Detective Todd Hollis said police received a call at 10:42 p.m. concerning subjects drinking on the property.“There was some type of sanctioned campout on school property, which was chaperoned,” Hollis said. “However, some students had broken out of the main group and went to another area where there were no adults.”

Hollis said police arrived and found some students drinking in the back parking lot near the practice fields. The officers said they contacted JHS Principal Steve Morris, and he reportedly told them that there was an authorized group of seniors allowed to camp out.

However, Erin Bojorquez, spokeswoman for Greater Clark County Schools, said after newspaper print deadline this morning that no permission was given to any student to camp out on school property. Bojorquez confirmed Tuesday night that an arrest was made on school property, but referred other questions to JPD.

Morris also said later this morning that no permission was given to camp out, but that school officials had learned students might be doing so anyway.

“We had heard about it, so we always have security on site," he said. "It seems to be more of a recent thing [kids have done the past few years]. A smaller group did it last year."

When the police officers found the alcohol, they searched at least one vehicle and found a shotgun and medication that was not in a correctly labeled container. That student was charged with possession of a firearm on school property and violation of the Legend Drug Act. Hollis said the student had hydroxychlorquine.

It was not immediately know whether the student was an adult or a juvenile because the police report was not finished.

The other students who were found to be drinking were all released to the custody of their parents and not charged, Hollis said.

Morris said that disciplinary actions will be taken against the student arrested.