This browser does not support the Video element.
Teens stopped with weapons, marijuana at football game in Bucks County
Two teens face juvenile charges after police found a handgun, air soft gun, and marijuana outside a football game at Harry S. Truman High School in Bristol Township.
BRISTOL, Pa. - Two teenagers will be charged as juveniles after police say they tried to bring weapons and marijuana to a football game at Harry S. Truman High School on Friday. Officials say security stopped the teens from bringing backpacks into the stadium, leading to a search that turned up a handgun, an air soft gun and marijuana.
Security action prevents potential threat outside high school game
Police say school security stopped two teens from entering Friday night's Truman-Springfield football game with backpacks, which goes against district policy. The teens then left their bags outside and went into the game.
School resource officers noticed the unattended bags along the fence line, walked over to investigate and found the handgun, air soft gun and drugs, police say.
What we know:
"They put the backpacks along the fence line and went into the football game. They kept an eye on them, they thought it was suspicious, they walked over to the backpack and discovered the weapons," said Bristol Township Police Chief CJ Winik.
Both teens will face charges in juvenile court, according to police. Police say one attends Truman and the other goes to another school.
"It’s always concerning when anybody, specifically a juvenile, gets ahold of a firearm," said Winik.
No shots were fired and no one was hurt during the incident, police say.
Community reaction as school reassures families
What they're saying:
Bristol Township residents expressed disappointment and concern after learning about the weapons discovery.
"Sadness. I can’t believe it’s happening around here. And I realize there is a lot of cops now at the Friday night football games and now I understand why," said Jaye, a Bristol Township resident.
"I mean you can’t really go to a sporting event without something happening. So I would just say security needs to be tightened up when it goes to those type of things," said Eric, another resident.
The school district sent a letter to parents on Saturday that said, "The District takes the safety of our students, staff, and visitors extremely seriously. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement and are following all applicable District policies and Pennsylvania law."
Bristol Township Police say they recently added two school resource officers to help keep students safe. "That’s why we implemented school resource officers this year for their safety and we are going to do everything we can to protect their children," said Chief Winik.
What's next:
Police say there is no indication the teens planned to use the handgun at the football game. Investigators are trying to learn who owns the handgun and why it was brought to school property.
What we don't know:
Investigators have not yet determined who owns the firearm or the reason it was brought to the high school grounds, according to police.
The Source: This article contains information from the Bristol Township Police Department, public statements by Chief CJ Winik and interviews with Bristol Township residents.