On Monday, November 6, 2023, a juvenile student at Arkadelphia High School was stopped at the entrance to the high school while in possession of a handgun.

The juvenile was stopped as he passed through the metal detector, which was in use by the school administration and School Resource Officer Corporal Dewayne Ward. Corporal Ward immediately took the juvenile into custody without incident and called for “Lockdown” so the students entering the school could be quickly made safe and secure.

The armed juvenile did not make entry into the school and no specific threat had been made against the school or any students.

The AHS lockdown lasted for approximately ten minutes and Goza Middle School was placed in “Secure” status since the campuses are adjacent to each other. The decision to use the metal detector today stemmed from other recent incidents, which are unrelated to this release and are being investigated by the appropriate entities. 

This incident continues to be investigated by School Resource Officers and detectives from the police department with full cooperation from APSD personnel. Formal charges are pending and will be decided upon by the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office.

“We appreciate APSD’s dedication to our children and our community; and we are very proud of the relationship we have with our students, teachers, and administrators,” Arkadelphia Police Chief Jason Jackson said. 

As a reminder, the following terms, from the Standard Response Protocol are used to define school safety situations:

Lockdown is followed by “Locks, Lights, Out of Sight.” This is the protocol used to secure individual rooms and keep occupants quiet and in place. 

Secure is followed by “Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors.” This is the protocol used to safeguard people within the building. 

For further information regarding the Standard Response Protocol used by our district, CLICK HERE.