DELAWARE — A Willis Education Center student has been charged with illegal conveyance or possession of a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance in a school safety zone.
Delaware Police Department School Resource Officer John Hartman took the 16-year-old male student into custody Thursday morning after recovering a firearm, according to Delaware Police Chief Adam Moore.
Police do not have information indicating an ongoing threat to Delaware schools, Moore said in an emailed statement. The student was taken into custody without incident, and no injuries occurred.
Editor’s Note: Delaware Source does not typically publish the names of minors charged in juvenile court. Unless a juvenile is charged as an adult or there is a compelling public safety reason, we choose not to identify them. Learn more.
“Currently, we do not yet have information regarding the student’s motive,” Moore said in the statement. “The investigation into the ‘why’ remains ongoing.”
The 16-year-old is a student in the Willis Innovative Learning Lab program, which is a non-traditional high school program offered at the Willis Education Center.
Police response
Moore told Delaware Source police were alerted to the incident from a source outside the school just before 9 a.m. on Thursday morning.
“A student who does not live in Delaware saw the information on social media posted by the suspect and was concerned enough to call the police,” Moore said. “It caused him to believe (the suspect) was in possession of a firearm at school.”
Moore could not confirm if the social media post was a threat to school staff or student safety, or what social media platform it was shared to.
The recovered firearm was a 9 mm Ruger pistol, according to the 911 dispatch report.
The student has been charged with one felony count: illegal conveyance or possession of a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance in a school safety zone.
Under Ohio law, a “school safety zone” includes school buildings, school grounds and school buses. Bringing a deadly weapon into a school safety zone is a felony offense.
The student was transported to the Delaware County Juvenile Court where he faced a detention hearing. The hearing determined the student could not yet be released to his parents, and he was sent to The Central Ohio Youth Center in Marysville.
According to the Local Rules of the Delaware County Common Pleas Court, Juvenile Division, sealed juvenile records are kept separate from public files, and expunged records are “irretrievably destroyed.” Sealing or expungement is not automatic and depends on the outcome of the case and court approval.
Public safety
How the suspect obtained a firearm is still under investigation and not yet public information. Moore encouraged parents to utilize secure and safe storage methods for firearms in the home.
“I am thankful no one was harmed and that our personnel were able to respond quickly to address a potential threat to school safety,” Moore said in the emailed statement.
Moore also commended the student who informed police about the situation, citing it as a “perfect” example of see something, say something.
“A potentially really dangerous situation was diffused ultimately because that initial student came forward,” he told Delaware Source.
The Delaware Police Department has handled previous incidents involving students bringing weapons to school, though Moore said such cases are not common.
The most recent prior incident occurred Feb. 19, 2025, when a 15-year-old student was accused of bringing a gun to school in his backpack, according to reporting by The Columbus Dispatch.
As of publication, no arraignment date appears on the public docket for the case in Delaware County Common Pleas Court.
