HARPER WODS, Mich. – Six Harper Woods High School students were taken into custody Thursday after a gun went off inside a hallway.
Harper Woods Police Chief Jim Burke said a 16-year-old student had a loaded 0.9 mm gun that went off, striking a locker.
"He pulled the gun out, I don't know if he was going to try to show his friends or brag or do something dumb, but while he was doing that, that's when the gun discharged. Fortunately no one was hit," Burke said. "There were a couple of kids standing next to him and it could have been a disaster. Fortunately, no one was hurt. He ran, he put the gun back in the backpack and ran to the classroom he was supposed to be in."
Senior Anthony Tookes said he heard the gunshots.
"We thought it was a prank or something. We didn't know it was real until we saw the flash," he said. "Everybody started running and ducking for coverage."
The school was searched and Burke said two more loaded handguns, two handgun magazines, three knives, drugs and alcohol were found in lockers.
The arrested students are 15 and 16 years old - five boys and one girl.
Burke said the school has had very few problems in the past.
"Something like this obviously brings home the need for parents to check their kids. If kids know that their friends have guns, they need to tell somebody," Burke said.
The high school and middle school, which share the building, were briefly put on lock down.
"We're are glad that our practice and our training enabled us to posses all of these items to remove those threats for the safety of students and staff," said Harper Woods Superintendent Todd Biederwolf. "However, I, and I know our students and staff and our community is disappointed that they were here."