Byram: No firearm was on the PHS campus
By Terry Murry on Friday, January 26th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – The Pendleton School District communicated with parents that there was an incident involving local law enforcement near the high school today which included the possibility of a person with a gun. Students were held on campus while police investigated and school buses were held until the investigation was completed. No gun was ever on the campus, Police Chief Chuck Byram said. Buses ran late as a result of the investigation.
Byram said there was a traffic accident on Northwest Carden Avenue near the school that escalated into a confrontation. He said one of the involved motorists took a broken down barrel of a shotgun from a vehicle and was wielding it while arguing.
“That’s when things got blown out of proportion,” Byram said.
He said the bus driver saw the barrel and told the students on the bus there was a gun. He said then the students got on their phones and parents came to remove the children from the bus. The school district policy is children can only get off the bus at their designated stops.
Byram said the police will meet with school administrators and First Student bus company representatives on Monday to go over procedures.
