Safety update for Reed families

April 4,  2024

This afternoon, during a one-on-one interaction with a student, a Reed Academy staff member became suspicious of the student’s backpack and alerted administration and school police. The student’s bag was immediately searched and a handgun was found and confiscated. The weapon was loaded, however the student was cooperative and everyone is safe. We do not believe the student intended to use the weapon at school.

The student is in police custody and will be processed by law enforcement. In addition, appropriate disciplinary procedures will be followed.

This is an important reminder that we all—students, staff and parents—share a responsibility for school safety and to be observant and share anything suspicious or out of the ordinary.  

Please take time to remind your child that if they are aware of any safety issue, they should report it directly to me, another staff member, or they may call School Police at (417) 523-2911 or text our anonymous Tip Line at (417) 319-2901.

We consider any weapon at school a serious concern and I wanted you to know the actions that were taken to respond to this incident.