Ammo at GHS sparks turmoil

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Gaye Brown de Alvarez
Staff writer

GALLUP — School officials are on high alert after several boxes of ammunition were found inside Gallup High School Thursday.

Custodians were cleaning a boys’ bathroom late Thursday afternoon when they found the ammunition hidden behind a toilet in the A-wing.

Officials report there was one box of 12-gauge shotgun shells and one box of 9 mm bullets. Lt. Rick White, Public Information Officer for the Gallup Police Department, said the boxes were full and they were taken as evidence. The Region 1 Narcotic Task Force and the McKinley County Sheriff’s Department was called and the building was searched. Nothing additional was found

Police guarded the school all night, and White said there will be an increased police presence of 20 or so more officers roving around inside and outside of the building.

A metal detector was borrowed from the McKinley County Detention Center and as a precaution, all staff, students and administrators had to go through metal detectors on the way into school this morning. White said this will take a lot of time, but students who have anything metal on them, such as jewelry, phones or music players will be asked to put them aside before they go through the metal detector.

White said today is a regular school day. Buses were also being searched to make sure no guns were being hidden on them.

An eyewitness reported police were checking cars as parents were dropping off their children for the day.

“The safety of our children is very important,” White said.