A Columbus North High School freshman has been suspended after being accused of bringing an Airsoft pellet handgun to school.
The teen had posted a photo of the pellet gun on Snapchat just as the bell rang Tuesday for the 7:45 a.m. first period at the school, resulting in multiple students reporting the photo to teachers and staff, said Larry Perkinson, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. employee and student assistance coordinator.
The student was taken to the office by 8:30 a.m., Perkinson said.
A school resource officer and North staff member confiscated the pellet gun, which had the red tip designating it as an Airsoft brand pellet gun, Perkinson said.
The pellet guns have the red tip so law enforcement and others don’t confuse the realistic-looking Airsoft pellet guns with handguns that use bullets.
“The students did a good job of taking care of each other,” Perkinson said of reporting the matter to school officials. “It was a quick response on everyone’s part.”
The student was removed from the building and is suspended from school pending further action, Perkinson said. The Snapchat post was considered a form of intimidation, resulting in the need for the student to be removed from the building, he said.
Even though the pellet handgun is considered a lookalike item, such items cannot be brought into schools, Perkinson said.
