WATERBURY, Conn. — An 18-year-old Crosby High School student in Waterbury is facing multiple charges after police said a gun was found in his bag.
Police were called around 9:30 a.m. with a report regarding a student having a weapon within the school.
When they got to Crosby High School, they found Lashawn Nance . Inside his book bag was a .22 caliber firearm, police said.
Crosby High School and Wallace Middle School were immediately placed in a shelter-in-place, but it's since been lifted.
Nance was charged with criminal possession of a pistol/revolver, possession of a weapon on school grounds, carrying a pistol without a permit, theft of a firearm, risk of injury to a minor, and second-degree breach of peace.
Some students told FOX61 there’s an underlying culture of fear. They say a student flashed a gun inside Crosby High School Thursday morning and they believe that student brought the gun to school to protect himself.
The band was practicing outside and there was no sign of police activity Thursday afternoon at Crosby.
A lone police car in front of neighboring Wallace Middle School hinting at the morning that unfolded inside the school when police arrested an 18-year-old student.
“First time I’ve heard about this. I know before people have brought knives. And over the years progressed—they’re bringing differing types of weapons,” said Senior Jonathan Rosario.
Tenth-grader Madison Whitlock said, “Stuff like that has been happening a lot recently. I’m happy they caught it before anything could have happened. It was loaded. It’s really insane and upsetting.”
A scenario that worries parents like Jay Toro who received an alert from the school system.
“I’m worried not about me but about the future of my kids,” Toro said while picking up his freshman son. “They lost respect for the teachers; they’ve lost respect for everything and the only way they want to get respect is by having a big gun. A big stick.”
Police said the department is working with Waterbury Public Schools to ensure student safety and that the incident remains under investigation.
Samaia Hernandez is a reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at shernandez@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Doug Stewart is the Senior Digital Content Producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
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