Crime & Courts

2 students arrested in separate gun incidents at Anchorage high school

Two students were arrested within a week in separate incidents after school officials discovered they had brought a handgun and pellet gun to Benny Benson Alternative High School, police said.

On Oct. 1, staff notified a resource officer at the school on Campbell Airstrip Road that a student had a gun, police wrote in an online statement. The student was escorted to the office, and a pellet gun and marijuana were found in his backpack, police said.

No threats were made with the gun, police said.

On Wednesday, Principal Frank Reuter saw an alcohol bottle inside a student car while he was doing a parking lot check, according to a statement sent to parents. An unloaded handgun was also found during a search of the car, Reuter wrote. Police said marijuana was also found in the vehicle. There was no indication that the gun was used to make threats, Reuter said.

Both students were arrested, and police said charges were forwarded to the Department of Juvenile Justice.

[Anchorage schools see rise in physical altercations and behavioral issues, superintendent says]

Reuter asked parents to talk with students about reporting instances where something unsafe may be happening.

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“Student and staff safety is a top priority at Benny Benson,” he wrote in the statement. “All situations related to school safety are taken seriously.”

Two students were arrested a week earlier at King Tech High School after a handgun and marijuana were found in one of their bags and marijuana was found in the other student’s car.

Tess Williams

Tess Williams is a reporter focusing on breaking news and public safety. Before joining the ADN in 2019, she was a reporter for the Grand Forks Herald in North Dakota. Contact her at twilliams@adn.com.

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