Fake Gun Locks Down Delco High School; Student Arrested

A Delaware County high school was briefly locked down Thursday, Dec. 8 after administrators spotted a gun in a student's backpack that turned out to be fake.

Strath Haven High School in Delaware County was locked down briefly Thursday morning because a fake gun spotted in a student's backpack was thought to be real, district officials said.
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Mac Bullock

12/08/2022 3:10 p.m.

In a statement issued to parents and staff Thursday afternoon, Wallingford-Swarthmore School District Superintendent Wagner Marseille said staff at Strath Haven High School in Wallingford were informed that a student might have had a firearm in their bag.

The school locked down at around 10:45 a.m. as Nether Providence police searched the building. They arrested a student after discovering a "replica handgun" in his backpack, Chief David M. Splain said in a release.

Within an hour, the lockdown was lifted and the school resumed its regular schedule, the superintendent said.

The arrested student's identity will not be released because they are a minor, police wrote. Chief Splain said charges will be filed in juvenile court but did not offer details.

"I would like to commend our students and staff for following all safety protocols, and our law enforcement partners for their quick response," wrote Superintendent Marseille. "I would also like to thank our families for their cooperation as we responded to the incident."

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