Pistol Recovered From Oregon Eighth-Grader's Waistband

Deputy Aaron West with a Ruger 9mm recovered from an eighth grader at Jefferson Middle School. Photo courtesy of MCSO.

Administrators at an Oregon middle school recovered a Ruger 9mm semi-auto pistol from a 13-year-old who said he thought it would be "cool" to bring it to class, the Marion County Sheriff's Office announced.

Jefferson Middle School's Principal Scott Linenberger called the sheriff's office at 10:55 a.m. today to report he had confiscated a handgun from an eighth-grader. Students at the school warned officials that the gun had been seen in another student's backpack. The gun was unloaded. Deputy Aaron West recovered the gun, as well as several rounds from the student's locker.

During an interview with the student, Deputy West learned that he had sneaked a key to his father's gun cabinet and removed the gun without his parent's knowledge. The suspect first said be brought the gun to school because he felt threatened by other students, but later admitted that he thought it was "cool" to bring a gun to school.

The student, who was not named because he is a minor, was arrested and lodged at the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center. The school announced it would remind students about its "no weapons" policy.