school safety

Armed former HISD student in custody after trespassing on Bellaire High School, officials say

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Armed former HISD student in custody after 'forcing his way' on campus

A former Houston ISD student was taken into custody after allegedly trespassing on Bellaire High School with a gun in his backpack, officials say.

BELLAIRE, Texas (KTRK) -- A former Houston ISD student is in custody after allegedly trespassing on campus with a gun on Monday, according to officials.

On Tuesday, Bellaire High School Principal Michael Niggli sent an email, which ABC13 obtained, to parents and staff regarding the incident.

Niggli said an unauthorized former student was reportedly let into the campus through a side door on Monday.

"The student forcefully entered on the heels of another student who had a student waiting for her on the inside of the building," the email reads.

After being notified of the unauthorized visitor, school police took him into custody. Officers reportedly found a gun in the former student's backpack, according to the principal.

"We did not go into lockdown because there were no reports of a gun on campus in a location that would cause a lockdown," Niggli said in the email. He added that the former student was in the police office during the search and was detained on the spot.

Houston ISD officials said there were no reported injuries and did not specify why the former student was on campus. No charges have been filed at this time.

Niggli urged parents to talk with their children about not allowing people into the school building.

"I am asking that each of you take a few moments this morning to speak with your students about not opening doors for others. This is a safety concern," Niggli said to the parents. "It definitely takes a village, and our students' eyes and actions are important."

Houston ISD sent Eyewitness News the following statement:

The safety of our students and staff is our top priority. A former student trespassed at Bellaire High School on Monday, February 13, 2023, and was reported to HISD Police on-site. The individual was searched and apprehended due to unlawful possession of a weapon on school property. Due to privacy rights, HISD will not be providing further information at this time. Our students are safe and our building is secure. We take these situations very seriously and remind families, students, and staff the importance of reporting suspicious or unsafe behavior to campus administration, through the See Something, Say Something app or by calling HISD Police Department's 24-hour hotline at 713-892-7777.

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