Superintendent admits there was a delay in responding to a student with a gun at Liberty Middle School

MADISON, Ala. (WAF) – Madison City Schools Superintendent Ed Nichols released a statement to parents on Friday after a student was found with a gun on campus earlier this week.

On Thursday, a 13-year-old boy was found with a loaded 9mm handgun at Liberty Middle School.

Officials with the Madison Police Department said they received a report Wednesday evening about the teen carrying a gun at a local apartment complex.

At the time, officials could not confirm whether the teen had a gun that night, but they contacted the Liberty Middle School resource officer.

The student was found in possession of the weapon after lunch on Thursday.

In a statement released Friday by Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols was released, he said: “A breakdown in communication between MPD and the local school board delayed our response.”

The statement reads as follows:

I wanted to update you on the incident that occurred yesterday at Liberty Middle School involving a student who was found on campus with a loaded gun. On Wednesday evening, the Madison Police Department (MPD) responded to a report of a weapon on display at a Madison apartment complex. Although the investigation revealed no credible threat or intent to harm anyone at the school, a breakdown in communication between MPD and the local school board delayed our response.

While the School Resource Officer (SRO) was notified of the investigation Wednesday evening and the school board received information about the investigation Thursday morning, the lack of prompt communication between the involved parties resulted in several hours of delay before the school board took action. Unfortunately, established communication protocols were not followed.

Today we met with Chief Gandy and other MPD leaders to review the events and develop ways to improve our communications and procedures moving forward. Our goal is to prevent these types of delays in the future and we strive to refine our processes for the safety of our students and staff. I am grateful for the continued support of the Madison Police Department and our SRO team, who play a critical role in keeping our schools safe.

Mr. Golliver, our district’s safety coordinator, was already planning to convene a safety committee meeting of staff and parents this month. This committee will review our current safety protocols and explore possible improvements, including new technologies that can improve school safety.

I appreciate your patience over the past 24 hours as we continue our investigation and work closely with our partners to enhance safety measures. As superintendent, I am confident that both the MPD and MCS teams are committed to the safety of our students and staff.

The 13-year-old was charged with restricting certain persons from possessing a firearm, which is a misdemeanor under Alabama law.

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