Recovered: Sixth firearm this year by APS police in relation to the incident in August at the local middle school
In Northeast Albuquerque, a troubling incident occurred last month on August 27, when a gun was recovered from a vehicle on the campus of Jackson Middle School. The school, located west of the intersection of Indian School and Juan Tabo, has been a site of unrest as an APS student enrolled in online learning programs was arrested and charged in connection with the incident.
The individual, whose identity has not been disclosed, is accused of pointing a gun at a crossing guard. After the incident, the student was taken into custody and charged with unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon on a school campus, unlawful carrying of a gun by a person under 19, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
This is not the first time this school year that Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) police officers have recovered a gun. In fact, this is the sixth such incident this school year, a concerning trend that has seen more than a third of all firearms recovered last school year being found this year alone.
On August 20, five guns were recovered in separate incidents at Albuquerque and West Mesa high schools, and one off-campus near Del Norte. However, no new information about the number of guns recovered last school year or about separate incidents at other schools or off-campus incidents was provided.
As the school year continues, the focus remains on ensuring the safety and well-being of all students and staff in Albuquerque Public Schools. The recent incidents serve as a reminder of the importance of maintaining a secure environment and the consequences of bringing weapons onto school grounds.
