DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — A 14-year-old brought an unloaded handgun to school Monday, according to Decatur police.

Around 1 p.m., the school resource officer assigned to Hope Academy was told by staff that a 14-year-old possibly had a gun. The SRO located the student inside the school and found an unloaded handgun in the student's waistband.

The teen was arrested and taken to the Peoria County Juvenile Detention Facility.

The department said the investigation is ongoing as it works to determine how the student got the firearm and why it was brought into the school. Anyone with information can contact the Decatur Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at 217-424-2734 or submit an anonymous tip to CrimeStoppers at 217-423-8477.

Copyright 2025. WAND TV. All rights reserved.