LAKEWOOD, Colo. — A 25-year-old student was charged with bringing a weapon onto school grounds after he was allegedly spotted with a gun at McLain Community High School Wednesday morning.
Around 10 a.m. Wednesday, Lakewood police responded to McLain Community High School on W. 2nd Place after receiving reports of a student with a gun.
A student at the school reported he saw another student with the weapon, and informed school staff, police said. Staff placed the school on lockdown. On-campus security staff and an assistant principal isolated and apprehended the student within a few minutes and secured the weapon. When police arrived, the suspect was taken into custody.
The lockdown was lifted around 11 a.m.
The suspect was identified as 25-year-old Rudy Jesse Romero. He was booked into jail on a charge of unlawful possession of a weapon on school grounds. JeffCo schools said the community school takes non-traditional students, which is why a 25-year-old can enroll there.
Romero is also on custodial staff at a different school in the district. He has been placed on administrative leave, according to JeffCo Schools, and is not allowed on school grounds during the review.
Police said they do not believe he made any threats to anybody at the school.
Principal Gavan Goodrich sent a letter home to parents explaining what had occurred that morning and said that Romero didn’t make any specific toward the school, students or staff.
“We are thankful the reporting student took the appropriate and immediate steps to inform a staff member about this situation,” he wrote in the letter. “Please remind your student to report any potential safety concerns to the school, law enforcement, or through Safe2Tell no matter how insignificant they believe it might be. Students may call the Safe2Tell program to report safety concerns anonymously at 877-542-7233, or report online at https://safe2tell.org/.”
