Richfield student with loaded handgun arrested after school lockdown

RICHFIELD, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Richfield student is in custody after being found with a loaded handgun, which sent the school into lockdown procedure, according to Richfield police.

Friday at 1:27 p.m. police responded to South Education Center at 7450 Penn Ave South on a report of a student with a handgun. Other students had seen the student with the gun and contacted staff, who then started the lockdown and called police.

Police found the student near the school's main entrance and arrested him. He had a loaded handgun on him at the time. Officers took the student to Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center.

According to the Intermediate District 287 Superintendent Sandy Lewandowski, the student did not threaten anyone. She thanked school staff for responding quickly to the situation.

"I truly appreciated their leadership, patience, and ability to stay calm today," wrote Lewandowski in a message to staff. "Many of our students had the potential to become agitated by this situation, yet because of their professionalism, the afternoon progressed smoothly."

Classes will resume as planned on Monday.

South Education Center serves students from pre-K to Transition and in addition to education offers mental health supports and trauma-informed care.

The case is under investigation.