SAN ANTONIO – James Madison High School Principal Steven Zimmerman sent a letter to parents on Nov. 18 to let them know about an off-campus incident that stemmed from a report alleging a student might have a weapon in his car.
“Our administrators and NEPD officers worked in conjunction with the San Antonio Police Department to locate the weapon,” Zimmerman wrote in the letter. “Other illegal items were found as well.”
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The police report, obtained in December by KSAT through a public information request, showed that police found an AK-47 rifle in the back seat of the student’s Honda Civic under a blanket. The car was parked across the street from the campus near a cell phone business while the student was in class.
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Officers also found a white substance, revealed to be cocaine through a field test, marijuana, empty vaping cartridges and other drug paraphernalia in the car, the report said.
The student, whose name and age was not released in the report, is facing charges of possession of a controlled substance in a drug-free zone, possession of marijuana in a drug-free zone and a firearms charge in a gun-free zone.
NEISD officials did not respond to requests seeking comment on the incident beyond the letter.
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Authorities first got wind about potential firearms in the student’s possession after he was reported to San Antonio police by a classmate for an alleged theft and threatening behavior, the report said.
The classmate told an SAPD investigator that the student suspect stole cash from his bedroom and threatened him with a loaded pistol.
As part of the investigation, SAPD contacted NEISD police on Nov. 15 about the student and alleged incident.
When NEISD police made contact with the student on Nov. 18, he first told police that he was dropped off at school. Later, he said his dad dropped him off and went to the nearby cell phone store, where the car was found.
The student eventually gave authorities consent to search the car. He told police about the marijuana and the vape cartridges. But when officers found the rifle, he said it “did not belong to him and did not know who placed it in his car.”
It’s unclear if the rifle was loaded or if ammunition was in the vehicle, and school district officials did not detail what discipline the student faced.
“Your students’ safety is of the utmost importance at Madison High School,” Zimmerman wrote in the Nov. 18 letter. “We take all reporters regarding safety very seriously and will investigate them fully.”
Zimmerman also stressed the weapon was not found on campus, “so there was no danger or threat to the school.”
The incident occurred on the same day a 16-year-old O’Connor High School student was taken into custody after Northside ISD police for also bringing a firearm on campus.