Albany High safety update Wednesday

Albany High School security staff found an unloaded pellet gun in a student’s bookbag during a routine security check at building entry Wednesday morning.

Staff found the pellet gun as the student was entering the building at about 9:50 a.m. They confiscated it and immediately referred the matter to the building’s Albany Police Department school resource officer.

There were no pellets in the student’s possession. 

Police charged the student with one count of unlawful possession of a weapon on school grounds. The student also has been suspended in alignment with the City School District of Albany Student Code of Conduct.

“I would like to commend the members of our safety team at Albany High School for their diligence in implementing our practices and procedures,” said Superintendent Joseph Hochreiter. “The security measures we have in place at Albany High and throughout the school district, and our partnerships with the Albany police and other law enforcement agencies, are intended to keep everyone in our school community safe. We will continue to emphasize the critical importance of these procedures for all members of our safety team district-wide. 

“We also ask our families to talk with their students at home about the dangers of having weapons in their possession at any time, and we ask all members of our school community – including our students – to let us know immediately whenever you see or hear something that makes you feel uncomfortable. If you see something, say something.”