Edison student charged with weapons offense

BERLIN HEIGHTS — An Edison Middle School student faces a weapons-related offense after allegedly bringing in a toy gun and — in separate incidents — threatening to kill multiple classmates, according to a report. Meanwhile, district officials sent out a letter Thursday afternoon to parents — hours after the newspaper first brought this to the attention of the administration — addressing some of these issues. Before then, however, parents received no public information about the incident from school officials. The allegations Despite the incident happening sometime last week — the actual date is unclear, according to all parties spoken with — an Erie County Sheriff's Office-led investigation began on Tuesday when the office received information from one of the suspect's classmates. The suspect, a boy, allegedly showed a classmate what ended up being a toy gun. A sheriff's office report detailed the incident and related allegations. "Once at the lockers, the (classmate) stated (the boy suspect) positioned his body in an attempt to conceal his backpack," the report read. "He unzipped his backpack, reached in and stated, 'Look at this.' Immediately after stating this, he briefly produced an all-black handgun." The classmate believed this to be a real gun, which prompted this student to tell his parents about the situation, claiming the suspect "brought a firearm to school the week prior." Deputies then spoke with Edison Middle School principal Cory Smith, who said the suspect "was suspended for the rest of the week, earlier today, due to him threatening to kill several classmates when it was discovered (the suspect) was attempting to obtain a vape," according to the report. The report, meanwhile, alludes to the student being suspended. It's believed, in Smith's statement, that "earlier today" refers to Tuesday, coinciding with the sheriff's office investigation. After speaking with Smith, Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth and another deputy responded to the boy's home. The boy told authorities he received the toy gun from an "unknown adult male" at the Milan Melon Festival and did "admit that he took the 'toy' gun to school last week in an attempt to show his friends." The charge On Wednesday, authorities charged the boy with what's known as "illegal conveyance of deadly weapon indistinguishable from firearm in school safety zone." Among the criteria to trigger this charge as outlined by state law: "No person shall knowingly convey or attempt to convey a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance into a school safety zone." Authorities booked the boy into the Erie County Juvenile Justice Center. School's response The Register first became aware of this situation upon receiving an anonymous tip on Wednesday. Several parents, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of facing retaliation from district officials, said they didn't receive information up until Thursday afternoon. Edison Schools superintendent Corey Ream did send a letter to district parents, which the Register independently obtained. Ream later sent the letter to a reporter. Ream's letter was sent to parents on Thursday afternoon. The Register reached out to Ream three separate times: two phone calls, at 11:25 a.m. and 3:17 p.m., and an email at 12:21 p.m. In the letter, while it does bring up the "toy gun" issue, it does not address how this student reportedly threatened to kill classmates. And, according to those interviewed, it's not known why this issue was only publicly addressed on Thursday, at least two days after school officials became aware of the toy gun incident. It is also not known why the alleged threats to kill other students was not disclosed in the letter. The Register sought to learn: • When exactly did this incident occur • How the district reacted upon learning of this incident • What is the suspect's behavioral pattern • How were parents notified if at all • What the district aims to do to properly safeguard students Ream did not respond to the newspaper's questions, instead forwarding a reporter a copy of the same letter. Here's Ream's letter in full: I wanted to make you aware of a situation reported to the Erie County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office investigated a concern that a middle school student may have seen a weapon in another student's backpack sometime last week. Their investigation determined the item was a toy. The incident was reported directly to the sheriff's office who then notified the district. At no time was there a firearm on school property. The student involved will be disciplined according to district policy. We are grateful for the safety concern being reported. It is essential we all play a role in ensuring our schools remain safe places. I urge you to take time to remind your child they should tell an adult if they hear about the possibility of a threat at or near school. Saying something when you see something truly makes a difference. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to keep our students and staff safe. As of Friday, the only contact between Ream and a reporter has been this letter. The district has not responded directly to questions or given a callback.