Four students accused in MMS grenade incident
Sports reporter
Four Marion Middle School students are awaiting charges in connection with the discovery Thursday of a practice hand-grenade in a student locker at the school.
Marion Middle School principal Tod Gordon became aware of the possibility a grenade was in the building early Thursday morning.
"A teacher contacted me," said Gordon. "I went up and found the grenade, and removed it."
Gordon took the grenade to his office, and immediately called Marion police, who received the call at 9:39 a.m.
Officer Dean Keyes was first to arrive at the school, and after being shown the grenade, he and Gordon facilitated evacuation of students and staff to Marion High School. The school was placed in lock-down.
Additional officers were called in to secure the area around the middle school. Officers from Marion County Sheriff's Department and Kansas Highway Patrol joined Marion police in providing security coverage.
Marion police contacted Fort Riley, which dispatched the U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit with two explosives technicians.
Meanwhile, Marion fire and ambulance units were dispatched to the school on stand-by, and were positioned to block entrance to the driveway running in front of the middle school.
The U.S. Army EOD unit, a modified Ford F-350 extended cab truck, arrived at the middle school at 12:05 p.m. The two technicians immediately conferred outside the building with Gordon and law enforcement officials.
Approximately 15 minutes later, one technician, wearing protective gear, entered the building carrying a small, metallic box, and emerged a short while later with the grenade enclosed in the box, which was placed in the back of the truck.
According to a report provided by Marion Chief of Police Michel Soyez, the technician identified the item as a practice grenade. The technician also checked one student's locker for additional explosive devices, and found none.
The KHP bomb dog was used to sweep the building after the grenade was removed to ensure no other potentially-explosive items were in the school, according to Soyez.
Marion police conducted numerous interviews, which resulted in the arrest of four MMS students, Soyez said. The juveniles were transported by Marion police to Junction City for processing and detainment by juvenile court authorities.
According to Marion County attorney Susan Robson, attorneys for the juveniles appeared Friday morning before Eighth Judicial District Chief Judge Michael Powers.
Powers released the juveniles to the custody of their parents, subject to bond and conditions, which Robson declined to disclose.
As of Tuesday morning, Robson was awaiting receipt of the final report from Marion police before determining specific charges to be filed.
Contacted Tuesday morning, Keyes said that while the investigation of the incident is ongoing, Marion police have developed a relatively complete picture of what led to the incident.
"I think we're pretty clear on what happened," Keyes said. "I'm clear on the motive for the grenade being brought into the school, I'm clear on the fact it was a grenade.
"I'm clear that I don't care that it was a practice grenade," Keyes added, emphasizing it was critical at the time of the incident to treat the device as a live explosive.
Marion/Florence USD 408 superintendent Lee Leiker reinforced the information related by the EOD technicians about the grenade.
"It was inoperable. It was not explosive in any way," Leiker said. "It did not have any charge in it at all."
Leiker indicated the district will be conducting its own investigation into the incident, including a thorough review of how school personnel handled it.
"We're wanting factual information, we're investigating that, and will be for a few days," Leiker said.
Of the four students taken into custody, Leiker said, "They will not be back at school while investigation continues. Further action will be based upon the factual information obtained concerning the incident."
Gordon noted that a complete accounting of the incident will involve obtaining information from the involved students, who the school currently has no contact with.
"I haven't talked to any of the kids yet," said Gordon. "Local law enforcement is working on that."
