Manassas Park teacher charged after gun found at school

A Manassas Park High School teacher has been charged after a loaded handgun was found on the ground at Manassas Park Middle School early Monday, the Manassas Park Police Department said. The discovery closed all four Manassas Park City Schools for the day. Classes resumed Tuesday.

Manassas Park is about 3 miles northeast of Manassas. It is a separate independent city with its own police department and its own school division, Manassas Park City Schools. Manassas City Public Schools is a different division.

What police said happened

The department’s account comes from a news release by Police Chief Mario Lugo. We could not find the release on the city’s website Tuesday. Its wording was carried word for word by the Prince William Times and Northern Virginia Magazine.

According to the release:

• “A school transportation employee discovered a loaded handgun on the ground between two school division vans during morning safety checks.”
• “The employee promptly reported the discovery, allowing officers to respond and begin an investigation.”
• A teacher at Manassas Park High School was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm on school property.

Police said their investigation found no threat to the schools or the community, as quoted by NBC4 Washington and reported by InsideNoVa.

“The Manassas Park Police Department commends the transportation employee for their vigilance and prompt reporting,” Lugo said. “We remain committed to the safety of our students, school staff and the entire community, and we appreciate the continued cooperation of Manassas Park City Schools and our residents.”

The statements released Monday do not say why the gun was on school property. We are not naming the teacher because we have not been able to read the department’s release on its own site.

An arrest or charge is an accusation. Every person is presumed innocent unless and until convicted in court.

What the school division said

Manassas Park City Schools closed all four of its schools Monday “out of an abundance of caution,” the division said, to give police time to investigate. Its statements were carried by WTOP, NBC4 Washington and Patch.

The four schools are:

• Cougar Elementary School
• Manassas Park Elementary School
• Manassas Park Middle School
• Manassas Park High School

“It was determined that the weapon belongs to a staff member and there is no credible threat to the school,” the division said in a statement to WTOP. The division said the staff member was “placed on leave per applicable school policies,” according to its update as carried by The Washington Sun.

In a statement carried by InsideNoVa and WJLA, the division said:

“The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority. We appreciate our community’s support and trust as we make decisions in the best interest of student safety. Thank you to the transportation employee who located the weapon during morning safety checks and reported it immediately.”

What the law says

Section 18.2-308.1 of the Code of Virginia makes it a Class 6 felony to knowingly possess a firearm on the property of a public elementary, middle or high school, including its buildings and grounds. The law lists exceptions, including:

• an unloaded firearm in a closed container in a vehicle, which includes a locked trunk
• a concealed handgun kept in a vehicle in a school parking lot by someone with a valid concealed handgun permit
• law enforcement officers and authorized school security officers

Police have not said which part of the law the charge falls under.

What it means for you

All Manassas Park City Schools reopened on their normal schedule Tuesday, the division said.

Families with a safety concern can use the division’s Safe Schools Alert tip line. The division calendar shows the next days without regular classes:

• Monday, Nov. 2: parent-teacher conferences, no school
• Tuesday, Nov. 3: Election Day, a virtual teacher workday, no school
• Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day, division closed

We will update this story if police or the school division release more. Our Police and Fire log lists other incidents from the departments’ own releases. If you are named in our coverage and the outcome changes, see our correction and removal policy.