Investigation into student with gun launched during football game

A photo of a gun, sent by one Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) student to another, launched an investigation during a football game against Mashpee High School on Friday.

According to the Oak Bluffs Police Department, officials began the investigation in coordination with the school’s administration after learning that a photograph depicting a handgun had been shared with another student at the game at McCarthy Stadium. 

“We want to emphasize that we take incidents of this nature extremely seriously. Our priority is always to ensure the safety and security of our students, staff, and all attendees at school events,” a statement from Oak Bluffs Police released Saturday stated. 

The Oak Bluffs Police School Resource Officers initiated an investigation on Friday and requested additional resources from on-duty officers, who “were ultimately instrumental in helping to ensure the safety of our community,” the press release stated. 

According to the statement by the MVRHS administration issued Saturday, at approximately 7:30 pm, school staff and a school resource officer became aware that a student at the school had received an image of a handgun through social media, allegedly taken and sent by another MVRHS student. 

The student who allegedly sent the image was identified by MVRHS administration. The student, who was not named, was not located on school grounds, but information gathered during the initial response revealed that he had just left. 

“Throughout the response, administration maintained ongoing communication and coordination with the school resource officer and multiple Island police departments,” the MVRHS statement reads.

According to the statement, police made contact with the student at his parents’ home. “The student was cooperative, and law enforcement reports that no weapon was located. The matter remains under investigation,” the statement said. “At this time, law enforcement and school officials have determined that there is no credible threat to the safety of our school community.” 

The high school said it will address the matter with the student directly, in compliance with the MVRHS student handbook. 

MVRHS administration also said in its statement that additional safety measures, including increased law enforcement presence, enhanced monitoring of events, and continued coordination among school officials and local law enforcement, were put in place for other sports games, such as soccer, field hockey, and cross-country, on Saturday as a result of the incident.

“These precautions are intended to provide a safe and welcoming environment for our students, families, staff, and visitors,” the MVRHS administration’s statement said. “We understand that information of this nature can be concerning, particularly when it involves a school event. We ask our community to avoid sharing unverified information, photographs, or speculation on social media, and to allow law enforcement to complete its investigation.”