Gun incident at Golden Valley school has parents upset over slow notifications

(FOX 9) - A video circulating on social media shows a student at Sandburg Middle School in Golden Valley holding what appears to be a gun in a bathroom.

The incident occurred on Nov. 11, and while the school says they were made aware of the incident that same day, parents claimed they weren't notified about it until five days later.

Below is a copy of the email families received from Robbinsdale Area Schools on Wednesday morning: 

Dear Sandburg Middle School families,

I'm writing to let you know about an incident that we were made aware of late last Friday evening.

A video is circulating on social media that shows a student holding what appears to be a gun in a bathroom within our school. We began investigating this incident as soon as we learned about it.

It's important to note that there were no threats made to students or staff.

We know situations like this can cause anxiety for students, their families and staff. While the student in the video has been identified, due to student data privacy laws we cannot share additional details.

We take all situations involving weapons seriously and investigate thoroughly. We also follow the discipline guidelines outlined in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.

Students are often aware of potential situations before adults are, so it's important to remind your child to share concerns with a trusted adult.

If you have any questions or other concerns about school, please call me at 763-504-8200. Thank you for supporting your student and Sandburg Middle School.

Sincerely,
Jay Hancock
Principal
Sandburg Middle School

FOX 9 spoke with multiple parents from the school who asked not to be identified, and they tell us the response from the district is too little, too late.

"I'm livid. I'm angry. I'm hurt," one mother told FOX 9. "I need people to make sure these kids are safe. I need them not to cover themselves after the fact with a canned email… Their reasoning behind it of ‘you would only be notified if it involved you.' It involves everyone. It involves every student, every teacher, everyone there has family," said another concerned parent.

A video circulating on social media shows a student at Sandburg Middle School in Golden Valley holding what appears to be a gun in a bathroom last Friday.

But this isn't the only incident involving a gun that parents at Robbinsdale Area Schools are worried about. In another email on Wednesday, parents found out a student at Robbinsdale Middle School brought a gun to campus on Tuesday and showed it to some classmates.

Below is a copy of that email:

Dear Robbinsdale Middle School families,

I’m writing to let you know about a disturbing incident that happened at school yesterday.

Last night, we learned that a student brought a gun to school and showed it to a handful of students.

One of the students who saw the gun told their parents about it last night and it was reported to district staff right away.

During our investigation, which began immediately this morning, we learned the student with the weapon had also made a threat against the school on Monday using a social media platform.

While the student has been identified, due to student data privacy laws we cannot share additional details.

Please know that all situations involving weapons are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly. We also follow the discipline guidelines outlined in the Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook.

We know situations like this can cause anxiety for our learning community, their families and staff. Our Robins are often aware of potential situations before adults are, so it’s important to remind your student to share concerns with a trusted adult as soon as possible.

If you have any questions or other concerns about school, please call me at 763-504-4800. Thank you for supporting your student and Robbinsdale Middle School.

Sincerely, 
Shirrie Jackson
Principal
Robbinsdale Middle School

Parents say this is just another example of poor communication from the school district about issues impacting the safety of their kids. 

"I think it's my right as a parent to decide on a day-to-day basis if my child is safe enough to go to school," one mother told FOX 9.

FOX 9 has asked the district directly if a student brings a weapon on campus and the only person who ever finds out is a staff member, will parents be notified?

A district spokesperson says each incident is discussed and decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.