Boy under house arrest in gun case
Hudson's Bay student expelled after knife found in backpack Friday
Saturday, January 9, 2010
A Pacific Middle School student allegedly found with his father’s unloaded Glock 9 mm handgun — and two loaded magazines — at school this week was placed under house arrest Friday.
Clark County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Rick Olson identified the student as Wylee W.R. Cooper. The 12-year-old made his first appearance in the Clark County Juvenile Justice Center before pro tem Judge Robert Harris on suspicion of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, a class C felony, and three counts of possessing dangerous weapons on school facilities, a gross misdemeanor.
Harris released Cooper from the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center and placed him under house arrest pending the outcome of the case.
Arraignment was set for Jan. 22.
The boy allegedly toted the gun to school for three days — Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday — in an effort to protect himself and friends from bullying, Olson and officers said.
The boy allegedly told authorities he had taken the gun without his father’s permission. Olson declined to comment on exactly how it was obtained, only saying: “It was there. It was available.”
Cooper was placed on emergency school expulsion Thursday pending investigation of the incident, an Evergreen Public Schools spokeswoman said.
The case was among three instances of student expulsion for allegedly bringing a weapon to campus since early November. On Friday morning, a Hudson’s Bay High School student was expelled when school officials found a knife in his backpack.
Kris Sork, a Vancouver Public Schools spokeswoman, said the 15-year-old, who was not identified, was placed on emergency school expulsion.
It is unclear if the boy displayed the knife to other students.
On Nov. 5, a student at Battle Ground’s Daybreak Middle School toted a loaded .22-caliber handgun to school that was reportedly brought by the boy’s friend. Both were expelled from the school and barred from any Battle Ground school district property for one year.
Virtually all public schools bar weapons from campus under all circumstances.
Laura McVicker: 360-735-4516 or laura.mcvicker@columbian.com. Bob Albrecht of The Columbian contributed to this story.
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