Weapon in Skyview student’s car was pellet gun, officials say

Sheriff’s deputies determined Tuesday afternoon that the weapon a 17-year-old student brought to the Skyview High School parking lot last week was a pellet gun that did not appear to be functional.

Deputy Jon Shields, student resource officer at Skyview, searched the student’s car on Tuesday afternoon. Shields said in an email the gun was made in China and had no magazine.

Sgt. Shane Gardner said the gun appeared to be real when viewed from outside the locked vehicle. Even after performing the search, it strongly resembled a real gun, he said.

“It looks exactly like a Glock,” Gardner said Wednesday afternoon. “There’s a couple small differences, but for all intents and purposes, it looks like a Glock.”

The sheriff’s office will still recommend the student, whose name was not released, face charges for bringing a weapon to school and brandishing, Gardner said.

Tom Hagley, executive director of community and government relations for Vancouver Public Schools, said there was no lockdown at Skyview and no direct threat to the school.– Paul Suarez