On Tuesday morning, January 10, 2023, gunfire rang out inside William Penn High School in New Castle but little is known about the investigation.
An initial email on Tuesday told parents that the school was on lockdown after reports of a gunshot in the vicinity of the school. The email went on to say that the students were resuming normal activities inside the school and were sheltering in place. FSU has learned that some classrooms had the lights off, the doors barricaded and the windows covered.
At around 1:30 on Tuesday, the Delaware State Police (DSP) issued a statement confirming that they were investigating a gunshot fired inside the school.
In the DSP statement officials said the School Resource Officer (SRO) at the school was alerted of a potential gunshot inside a second-floor bathroom at the school. The statement went on to say that the officer responded to the location and observed signs that a round struck the interior of the bathroom.
FSU has learned that during a debriefing held at the school on Thursday, January 12, 2023 staff was told that the lockdown did not occur until a firearms evidence detection team responded to the school and confirmed that shots were fired in the bathroom. The staff was told that the delay was about 25 minutes.
The DSP statement said that a suspect ran from the rear of the school towards the football stadium and a search of the area led to the discovery of a Glock handgun.
FSU has also learned that staff at the debriefing were told by the administration that the suspect is a William Penn student. They were also told that there were people that are not William Penn students inside the building at the time of the incident.
During the morning session of the debriefing, the SRO reportedly told the staff that he was on his way to arrest the student. Additionally, administrators told staff that all involved would be expelled from the school. Police have not announced any arrests publicly.
During the debriefing, staff was also told that the school had previously contacted a security consultation company regarding metal detectors and that training for the school’s constables is scheduled for next week.
The school was closed for the remainder of the week to allow time for the investigation to be completed. The school is expected to open on Tuesday with added security according to sources familiar with the school’s plans.
The sourcing for the information of the debriefing comes from those in attendance. William Penn officials and police have not confirmed this information.