SALISBURY, Md. - The Wicomico County Sheriff’s Department has announced the arrest of an 18-year-old Parkside High School student for allegedly bringing a gun to school.
On Wednesday, Sept. 3, the sheriff’s office says a school resource officer was told that Devon Rinvil Thelusma, 18, was possibly in possession of a handgun. Upon investigation, authorities say the school resource officer found a loaded 9mm handgun and a small quantity of marijuana on Thelusma. The student was immediately taken into custody and brought to the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office for processing and pending criminal charges, according to police.
The sheriff’s office says police are working closely with Wicomico County Public Schools to ensure school safety. There is currently no known threat to the school or students, according to police.
Following Wednesday's scary start to the school year, we went out into the community to speak with parents, many of whom are on edge and tell WBOC something has to change.
As for what that "change" is though, well, that's up for debate.
"I think that's the million dollar question across the country right now, because it doesn't happen much in other countries," said Eva Polk. "Happens more here."
Polk did have a few ideas she was willing to share with us. She said a heavier police presence at schools might work and she tossed out the idea of metal detectors.
She said a more long-term solution, however, could begin off school grounds.
"I think we need more for these kids to do, there's not a lot here to do here," said Polk. "There's really not a lot of activities and some kids really aren't into sports. We need to have some more community centers for them to go to, something that they can strive to do a better life than getting hung up with the wrong crowd."
Wicomico County Public Schools Superintendent Micah Stauffer and the Board of Education did provide WBOC with a joint statement on Wednesday:
At Wicomico County Public Schools, the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and visitors remain our highest priority. Together with the Wicomico County Board of Education, we are always exploring ways to enhance school security through the use of safety processes, staffing, technology and the implementation of weapons detection systems. We continually emphasize the importance of the safety mantra, "If You See (or Hear) Something, Say Something." Several of these safety measures worked well together on Wednesday to ensure that the school safety issue was handled quickly and safely.
Weapons detection systems—already in use at select sporting events and large school activities—represent another proactive step toward creating even safer school environments. They complement existing safety measures such as School Resource Officers and school security teams and are part of a broader strategy to strengthen school climate and security across our district. By acquiring additional weapons detections systems and deploying them with trained personnel to operate and monitor the systems consistently, this technology would become a powerful tool for school safety.
Our Board of Education and our school system, with the support of our county government and our community, have made great strides in the area of school safety, and we are committed to continuing to work together to accomplish even more, including the expansion of our weapons detection systems. School safety is always our first priority. Together, we will work to ensure that every student feels safe, supported, and ready to learn, and that all staff members and visitors experience a safe school environment.