An argument over a pencil inside a Southeast D.C. middle school classroom ended in a lockdown Tuesday after a student pulled out a pocket knife and then a handgun, according to police and a school spokesman.
A 12-year-old student at KIPP KEY Academy school on Benning Road was arguing with another student when he threatened to stab her, then displayed a pocket knife and lifted his shirt to show he had a handgun in his waistband, a D.C. police report said.
No one was injured, and a vice principal at the school was able to recover the weapons from the student and turn them over to authorities, according to the police report. The handgun was a 9mm Beretta.
The police report lists the offense as assault with a dangerous weapon, but it’s unclear if the student has been charged.
The incident sparked a lockdown on campus Tuesday afternoon as D.C. police investigated.
In a letter sent to parents Tuesday, school administrators said the student will not return to class until the school and police complete their investigation.
“We are grateful for the swift action of the KEY Academy team and the Metropolitan Police Department,” the letter to students stated. “Their quick action ensured student safety and allowed all of us at the Benning Campus to continue our focus on learning.”
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report.
