WMS students arrested - Boys allegedly drew guns in after-school fight

WASILLA -- Two Wasilla Middle School students were arrested Friday after they each drew guns on a group of teens during an after-school fight, according to Wasilla police.

Although no one was hurt, the two 13-year-old boys are being held at the Mat-Su Youth Facility in Palmer and police expected to charge them with felony assault, said Wasilla Police Chief Charlie Fannon.

Friday afternoon, Wasilla police were still questioning the nine to 12 other students who were involved in the armed altercation, Fannon said.

Apparently a tip was given by a student to a school administrator that a fight was planned at the gravel pit next to the middle school, Fannon said.

When a Wasilla police officer arrived at the school area at around 2:30 p.m., he saw a group of students fleeing. The officer found the two teen-agers still holding the guns. They were taken into custody without incident, Fannon said.

Police would later discover the two large-caliber pistols were not loaded. However, Fannon said the boys did have ammunition for the weapons with them.

One of the youths brought the two guns to school that morning, Fannon said. The weapons belonged to the boy's father, he said.

"This concerned them greatly, because the parents said they keep the guns under lock and key," Fannon said.

The boys who allegedly threatened the students at gunpoint had apparently been the targets of bullying by other students at the school, Fannon said. The notion alarmed Fannon, he said, because similar circumstances that involved guns and harassed students have often ended in deadly violence in other areas.

"Bullying has been the source of a lot of these school shootings," Fannon said.

Mat-Su Borough School District spokesperson Kim Floyd said Wasilla Middle School officials did a complete search of the arrested students' lockers and belongings.

In addition, she said letters would be sent out Monday to all middle school student parents, explaining what happened and how the school district is handling the situation.

"We have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to weapons," Floyd said," We take all reports of threats seriously and this is a good example of why students should report to adults these types of things."

The school district will make counseling available to both students and parents if necessary, and parents are encouraged to call school administration if they have any questions or concerns, Floyd said.