Arkadelphia police were busy Tuesday, April 4, 2023, with separate reports involving firearms on or near school campuses.

A press release issued Tuesday afternoon says administrators at Arkadelphia High School were informed that a firearm was in a student’s vehicle in the parking lot. School administrators then met with the student and recovered a firearm from the vehicle. The firearm that was located was identified as a pistol.

“At no time was there any threat made involving a weapon,” the department said. The student was taken into custody and turned over to Clark County Juvenile Services. The matter was investigated by school resource officers and detectives from the police department with full cooperation by APSD personnel. Formal charges are pending and will be decided upon by the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office.

In a separate incident, children outside at Peake Elementary School reported hearing possible gunshots and were immediately taken inside the building by administration.

“Patrol officers, detectives, and school resource officers thoroughly checked the surrounding neighborhoods,” the department said. “Officers spoke with area residents and believe the sounds were several blocks from the school, however at this time no evidence of gunshots or exact location of the sounds have been located.”

Police Chief Jason “Shorty” Jackson said there were no threats in either incident to students or staff, and “the safety of the students at both campuses was given the highest priority. We appreciate the working relationship we have with our school system teachers and administrators, and their dedication to our children and our community.”