An 18-year-old Park Hill School District student is in custody after a loaded gun was allegedly found in his backpack on Friday, Nov. 21.
David Peebles remains in custody in the Platte County Detention Center, held on $100,000 cash-only bond. His initial court appearance was scheduled for Monday, Nov. 24, after the Citizen’s early Thanksgiving deadline.
Peebles
According to court documents, at about 11:30 a.m. Friday, school administration at the LEAD Innovation Center notified the on-duty school resource officer of a report from a student stating another student had a firearm in his backpack. Peebles and his backpack were taken to the office, where a school administrator searched his pack and found a gun wrapped in a t-shirt. The deputy confiscated the firearm, a 9 mm hand gun loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition in the magazine. There was no bullet in the chamber.
Peebles was taken into custody and transported to the Platte County Detention Center, where he agreed to speak to police. Peebles said he was afraid of other students at school and was also afraid of the possibility of school shooters. He wanted to be able to defend himself. During the interview, he admitted to carrying the loaded gun in his backpack and said he knew the firearm was not allowed at school.
“Because someone was brave enough to come forward with information that a weapon was in the school today, our SRO deputy and school administration were able to act quickly and remove a threat to the safety of the entire school,” said Sheriff Erik Holland on Friday. “ I commend everyone involved for their work today.”
Peebles has been charged with unlawful use of a weapon, a felony charge.