Police arrest Belleville West student who had gun at school

A Belleville West student is accused of bringing a loaded weapon to school Tuesday and was taken into custody, District 201 Superintendent Marshaun Warren said in a statement.

A school resource officer and high school staff were notified that a student possibly possessed a firearm at school at approximately 1:15 p.m., according to a news release from the Belleville Police Department. The student was immediately separated from others and searched, at which point the school resource officer located and seized the firearm, the Belleville Police Department’s statement says.

The police department’s statement says this appears to be an isolated incident. Both District 201 and the Belleville Police Department’s respective statements detail there were not any known threats made to staff or students.

“The safety of the students and staff was of the highest priority,” the Belleville Police Department’s statement says. “When the initial report was received, the Belleville Police Department and Belleville West High School staff acted swiftly to isolate the student and bring a safe resolution to the incident.”

Both statements thank the student who reported the situation, with Warren saying the report “demonstrat(es) the importance of (the district’s) ‘see something, say something’ culture.”

The police department’s statement also praises the relationship between the police department and the school.

The investigation is ongoing, the police department’s statement says. Neither statement includes the name of the student accused of bringing the firearm to school, with the police statement noting this is due to their age.

This story was originally published September 16, 2025 at 3:27 PM.