Incident involving a BB gun at Annandale HS

There was an incident involving a BB gun at Annandale High School this morning.

Principal Shawn DeRose sent an email to the community at 10:47 a.m. stating, “during the transition between first and second block, a BB gun fell out of a student’s backpack. The BB gun was seen and confiscated by a staff member who was standing outside the classroom, monitoring the hallway transition. Security was immediately notified. At no time was this BB gun used to intimidate other students or staff, and there was no threat of danger.”

It was never pointed at anyone.

DeRose sent out an email update at 12:34 p.m. stating: “Prior to the discovery of the BB gun, there was a fight between students in the hallway. Our administration and security teams have identified all students involved and are taking appropriate disciplinary action. We continue to investigate and are working with both Fairfax County Police and our Office of Safety and Security.”

The BB gun was confiscated immediately, DeRose wrote. “We take reports of any weapon seriously. Our administration and security team have processes in place to investigate and address these types of reports. I am proud of the speed with which our team confiscated the BB gun and identified and addressed the students involved.”

Immediately after the incident, photos and videos taken by students spread around the school.

A senior at Annandale High School says the fight involved about 10 or 15 boys. They were hitting and punching one another, but the student doesn’t think anyone was seriously hurt.

The student says it fell out of the backpack of an Annandale junior and was left on the floor for about 10 minutes. At the time, no one knew it was a BB gun and not a real gun.

Teachers split up the fighters, as neither the principal nor the school resource officer was present at the time. They showed up after the incident and brought those involved to the office.  

While there were rumors that students from Justice High School were involved in the fight, Julie Moult, media relations manager at Fairfax County Public Schools, says that was not the case.

According to Cabot Davis, the parent of an Annandale student, “the first email looks like they handled it pretty well. The second email was very concerning.”

There was a long time between the incident, which occurred at 10 a.m., and the first email from the principal at 10:47 a.m. Then there was a nearly two-hour gap between the first and second emails. He charges the school with trying “to sweep this under the carpet.”

“There was no way the principal did not know about the fight when he sent the first email,” Davis says. “The second email paints a different picture. It seems to be a recurring theme in Fairfax County; they tell parents what they want them to know.”

Moult issued the following statement: “There was no weapons search occurring at Annandale High School. As was communicated to parents this morning, a BB gun was found during class change in a hallway. A student has been identified and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.”