Smithtown parents demand increased school security after student arrested with gun, knife and bullets
Parents are calling for changes to school security measures after a Smithtown West High School student was arrested and accused of bringing a gun, knife and bullets onto campus.
More Stories
Parents voiced frustration and demanded answers at a school board meeting after a Smithtown High School West student was arrested Tuesday.
Suffolk police say they responded to the school just before 2 p.m. after a 911 caller reported a student posted a picture with a gun on social media. School staff searched the student's backpack and found a knife, firearm and a magazine.
Superintendent Mark Secaur said in a letter that during an investigation into a peer conflict between two students, a building administrator was alerted that one of the students may have posted a photo of a handgun on social media.
School administrators called Suffolk County police, and the student's bag was searched, where the unloaded handgun and bullets were found, according to a letter to the community.
The teenager appeared in court Wednesday. Authorities have not released the student's name because of his age. Prosecutors said the gun had been reported stolen in Florida.
Parents expressed anger and concern over the incident, with some calling for immediate changes to security procedures throughout the district.
"There was a gun in the high school. That should be enough to knock down every single building on that campus," says Alexandra Kalish, a parent. "A metal detector would've solved this entire problem."
"You don't keep our children safe and you're not transparent at all," said Kristen Hachemeister to school officials during Tuesday's meeting.
News 12 asked the school district whether metal detectors or other safety measures are being considered. A district spokesperson said there was no additional information to share, and no one was available for an interview.
"I just went to a concert, a haunted house, you go through a bag check. Why is that not happening in our high school?" says Hachemeister.
Michael Cohen, former Brentwood School District Superintendent, says the use of metal detectors in schools remains a subject of debate.
"There are districts that have tried not to go that direction because we don't want students coming into school to feel like they're going into a danger zone," says Cohen.
Cohen said decisions about security measures should ultimately reflect community input.
"If the community wants that, they will let the school board members know and school board members, as elected officials will respond accordingly," he said.
