A Tremper High School student was found with an unloaded gun Monday, leading to the arrest of two students.

A student told school officials at 10:15 a.m. that he saw another student display a gun on school property earlier in the day.

A school resource officer confronted the student in question, who had a small, unloaded pistol in his pocket. No ammunition was found among the student’s possessions.

The 15-year-old boy was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon, possessing a dangerous weapon as a minor and possessing a dangerous weapon on school property.

The boy said he thought the pistol was a gun-shaped lighter and that he had received it earlier in the day from his 15-year-old cousin.

The cousin later came to the Kenosha Police Department with his father. The boy denied giving the gun to the other 15-year-old. He faces one potential charge of possessing a firearm in a school zone.

Both 15-year-old boys were sent to juvenile custody.

The student who reported seeing the gun claimed one of the 15-year-old boys said, “Now that we have this, we run the school.”

Letter to parents

Tremper Principal Dick Aiello sent a letter home to school families on Tuesday, stating there was no evidence that the weapon was used as a direct threat to the safety of any students or staff.

“School officials and police have taken swift and appropriate action, and we are extremely confident that the matter has been dealt with effectively,” Aiello said in the letter.

Aiello also said safety is of the highest priority and students are encouraged to report any threat to health or safety at the school.

Kenosha Unified School District Superintendent Joe Mangi agreed.

“This incident reinforces the need for school safety and the need to immediately report an incident of this type to school administration,” Mangi said.

No lockdown

Mangi said the school was not locked down because the report came in shortly before Monday’s early release, meaning some students were already outside.

“It would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible, to lock the building down if most students are on their way out of the building,” Mangi said. “School administration and police decided to apprehend the student before he left the building, and they were able to do so.”

Staff and administration at Tremper also went over their safety policies and procedures after the incident, Mangi said.

“Everyone was placed on alert, but Tremper has remained orderly and calm the last two days,” Mangi said.

Mangi said the School Board has a “zero tolerance” policy for having a weapon on campus.

District policy states the offense could result in up to five days of suspension and possible expulsion.