A Unionville High School student may or may not be charged with a crime after a hunting knife was found in his pickup truck that was parked on school property.
According to Unionville-Chadds Ford School District Superintendent John Sanville, filing charges would be at the discretion of the state police.
On Sept. 25, dogs searching for drugs, alcohol, tobacco and weapons were performing a routine check when they reacted to a pickup truck. According to Sanville, the dogs alerted for gunpowder, not drugs.
Because no weapons of any kind are permitted on school property, high school administrators discovered the identity of the student who drove his vehicle onto campus. During an interview, the student indicated that he is a hunter, and that he has carried guns in his car in the past-- but never onto campus, said an email from Principal Jimmy Conley.
A subsequent search of the vehicle found no guns or any ammunition, but the student, who was extremely cooperative, said he had a hunting knife with a three-inch blade in the back seat. The Pennsylvania State police were contacted, and the student has been suspended from school; schools are no place for weapons, the email said.
Sanville did not identify the student, but did say he’s a “good kid who’s never been in trouble.”
As part of the district’s security policy, dogs are called in to search the grounds four times per year. This was the first such search of this school year.
“As always, the safety and well being of all of our students is our top priority,” said Conley in the email. “I have said this before, but I believe that it is worth reiterating, that this is a learning experience for our student. As a school, we are here to support all of our students.”
The incident comes just a day after Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan issued a press release saying the parent of a middle school student would not be charged with having a firearm in his unattended car while on school property on Sept. 3.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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