North Penn board, parents address high school gun incident during emotional meeting

The North Penn School Board meeting Thursday night turned into a tense and emotional forum, as district leaders, parents, and students reflected on the discovery of a loaded 9mm handgun inside North Penn High School earlier in the week.

Superintendent Dr. Todd Bauer opened the meeting with a detailed timeline of Tuesday’s incident and praised the quick response by staff and police.

“Next I want to take a moment to address a very serious incident that occurred this week at North Penn High School,” Bauer said. “Mr. Brandon Rhone, our coordinator of emergency management and safe schools, received a call from the Lansdale Police Department… that a student told other students that he had a gun in school.”

    North Penn School District Superintendent Dr. Todd Bauer (Credit: Screenshot/YouTube.com/NPTV)
  

Bauer said administrators and security staff acted within two minutes of receiving the call.

"They opened the door to the office and Bernie saw the student. He asked the student to come with him to the security office. They walked through the courtyard, not the hallway, to the security office. From the moment that the phone call ended with Mr. Rhone until the student was in the security office ... was two minutes. The student was located, he was cooperative, and there was no longer concern for the safety of those who were in the building," Bauer said.

He said, as is typical in these situations, a conversation then took place with that student, the parent was called and eventually a search was conducted.

A search revealed a handgun, and the 17-year-old student was immediately taken into custody. Bauer thanked Hassler, Jones and Rhone, calling them “superheroes."

"The overwhelming majority of emails expressed appreciation for the job that was done by the folks involved," he said.

Bauer also addressed parents’ frustrations about communication.

“Each critical or emergency event requires situational awareness,” he said. “An immediate lockdown when all the students are in the hallway would have made finding a particular student nearly impossible… From the moment we got the call to when the student was in custody was less than two minutes.”

Bauer added that the district’s Evolv weapons detection system would remain active at the high school daily.

“Effective yesterday, that is now the plan,” he said. “Until the policy is reviewed and approved by the board, Evolv will remain at North Penn High School.”

School board leaders respond

Board President Cathy McMurtrie read a prepared statement on behalf of the board.

“First and foremost, we are deeply grateful that no one was harmed and we commend and thank with much appreciation the swift action of those who ensured the student was safely taken into custody,” McMurtrie said. “However, gratitude does not erase the seriousness of what occurred. The reality — the what if — is alarming.”

She said the board supported keeping the Evolv system as a permanent security measure.

“When a firearm is brought into a school, even if it is never used, it tears at the sense of security that our students, staff, and families deserve every single day,” she said.

Safe Schools Committee Chair Jonathan Kassa called the incident “shocking,” but also “a success” in crisis response.

    North Penn Board Director Jonathan Kassa, who oversees the Safe Schools Committee (Credit: Screenshot/YouTube.com/NPTV)
  

“This isn’t spin. This is why we applauded those who were involved,” Kassa said. “This was a moment that could have escalated… and we are so lucky that’s not the case.”

He noted that years of planning and layered safety systems helped avert tragedy.

“Ultimately, we want to be welcoming, secure, and a vibrant community,” he said. “It’s actually because of the community’s proactive investment and the curiosity of the administration to find new solutions and innovate that when a problem exists, the investment was already made.”

Kassa later added, “We do fail as a school district and a community when a gun already shows up in our schools… but that’s why climate and behavioral threat assessment matter. It’s why we were able to avert a terrible tragedy.”

Parents express anger and fear, call for focus on students' mental health

Parent Shannon Main of Towamencin Township thanked security but criticized the district’s screening and communication.

“I would first like to begin by thanking the security guards who acted quickly on Tuesday to detain the student and recover the gun at the high school,” said the Towamencin parent. “This was the best possible outcome, and we couldn’t have hoped for something more. I’m grateful for their efforts.”

    Towamencin parent Shannon Main (Credit: Screenshot/YouTube.com/NPTV)
  

Main said that despite the swift response, the district had “not been 100 percent transparent” since the incident, and she wanted to state what she and other parents understood to be the facts.

“We know for a fact that the student had a loaded 9 millimeter handgun in his waistband for hours inside the high school,” she said. “We also know the student was recently involved in crimes in the North Penn area using the same firearm.”

Main questioned why the district’s Evolv weapons-detection system had not been operating at the time.

“Why were the metal detectors not in use? Why didn’t we have closer eyes on this student? The policies and procedures that allowed this are an epic failure,” she said.

Main alleged that the student had been expelled from another school district for bringing a firearm to that campus and said North Penn should have been aware of his history.

“If the administration and the board did not know this student was expelled on those charges, why was he allowed to sit here in our classrooms?” she asked. “If you claim you weren’t aware, how could you not be? Are we asking why kids are expelled before admitting them into our district? Who else — and how many other students — are sitting next to our children right now under these same circumstances?”

She also criticized what she described as a flawed communication process.

“The communication procedure was horrible,” she said. “It seems designed only to inform a small group who are allowed to know what’s happening while the rest of us are left in the dark. When there is a loaded handgun in the school where my children are, I expect immediate communication.”

Main said that rumors and social-media posts spread before the district issued any official statement. “The district should have communicated before the news outlets — to put parents at ease and let us know our children were safe,” she said.

She added that her fifth-grader’s class was on a field trip to the planetarium at the high school that morning.

“I didn’t receive any communication to elementary families until 24 hours later,” she said. “The teachers in the building weren’t even told until after the event was over. This could have gone horribly wrong, and that’s unacceptable.”

She then focused on the district’s $200,000 Evolv system, saying parents were led to believe it would prevent exactly this kind of situation.

“We spent $200,000 on an Evolv detection system, yet it’s not being used — or not being used effectively,” Main said. “My middle-schooler says the machines constantly go off. Too many false alarms make them ineffective. Why hasn’t this been disclosed at Safe Schools meetings? Why is the public only finding out now, after public pressure, that a loaded 9 millimeter handgun was found in our school?”

“If the system isn’t being implemented every day for every child, then it’s ineffective and your security protocols are a failure,” she continued. “If a kid can walk into a building with a loaded handgun in his waistband, this is a complete failure.”

Main again returned to the student’s background, saying the issue raised deeper questions about screening and accountability.

“This student was expelled for bringing a firearm to a different school, then committed a crime in our community, and he’s still allowed to sit in the same classroom with my children without any extra precautions or supervision,” she said. “That’s unbelievable and inexcusable. People need to be held accountable.”

She concluded by warning against letting the issue fade.

“This shouldn’t be swept under the rug like the Stanley Cup incident at Pennbrook,” she said. “Are we going to have to wait a whole year for an investigation and have nothing come from it? People need to be held accountable immediately.”

“North Penn needs to do better about mental health" 

Parent Nicole Brown, of Towamencin, urged more support for student mental health.

“I’m going to try to get through this,” she said, her voice unsteady. “Today has been a very emotional day for me.”

Addressing Dr. Bauer and members of the North Penn School Board, Brown said she had long expressed fears about violence at the high school.

“Dr. Bauer, you and I have exchanged emails over the years,” she said. “I’ve shared with you that one of my greatest fears is the possibility of a school shooting at that high school, given how big it is.”

Brown said she had been unable to rest since learning of the incident earlier in the week.

“We live in a time where gun violence has become a devastating reality across our nation,” Brown said. “The emotional toll it takes on our students, our teachers, and the parents is immeasurable. It’s difficult for children to focus on their work and for adults to perform at their best when fear lingers in the background of daily life.”

Brown, who serves on Montgomery County’s Youth Aid Panel, said that experience has deepened her understanding of the challenges children face.

“North Penn needs to do better about mental health — about supporting children who need intervention, whether that child can verbally identify it or not.”

"Something’s not right in the system"

Richard Campbell of Lansdale, a teacher in another district, said student discipline and placement policies need review.

“I’m concerned with how student history is seemingly being ignored — to the danger of both students and staff,” he said. “I don’t know what threshold we use to determine whether a student should be part of the larger school community or whether they’re better served in a smaller, more supportive setting.”

    Lansdale parent Richard Campbell (Credit: Screenshot/YouTube.com/NPTV)
  

He said his own district wrestles with similar issues.

“I realize there’s a great expense in finding an alternative placement or setting for a student,” Campbell said. “But I know for a fact — as has been echoed tonight — that all the students knew who this student was. This student was involved in an incident last year at Penndale Middle School that resulted in a five-day suspension. We had the Stanley Cup incident, and now, in less than two years, we’ve had three major incidents where students who are troubled and have a history of trouble continue to be part of the larger school community.”

Campbell argued that the district must reexamine how it supports students who struggle socially or emotionally.  He concluded by urging the district to take a hard look at its policies.

“The fact that we’ve had this many issues in such a short time shows that something’s not right in the system,” Campbell said. “We really need to look at that.”

Before leaving the podium, he offered his thanks to those who acted during the emergency. 

"Students’ feelings don’t matter if they’re no longer living"

North Penn senior Richard Bosack said students feel unsafe.

“I’m very happy to hear that the security system is going to be used from now on — but I question why we waited until now to do that,” he said. “I’ve been a student at North Penn since kindergarten, and it feels like we’ve had nothing but threats my entire school career.  Every time something like this happens, precautions are put in place — maybe for a week, maybe a day, maybe an hour — and then they’re taken away or ignored.”

    North Penn High School senior Richard Bosack (Credit: Screenshot/YouTube.com/NPTV)
  

Bosack urged the district to make student safety a permanent, not reactionary, priority.

“Students’ feelings don’t matter if they’re no longer living,” he said.

"... But his life is not our life"

Parent Dawn Thomas, of Lansdale, spoke of empathy for the teen involved.

“When the incident first happened, the first thing I did was talk to my children,” she said. “And my children had such deep empathy for the student who brought the handgun. They said, ‘Mom, do you know this child has had so much trauma? Do you know he has a sibling who died of gun violence? Do you know he has a sibling who’s locked up for life for gun violence?’”

    Lansdale parent Dawn Thomas (Credit: Screenshot/YouTube.com/NPTV)
  

Thomas said her 11th-grade son asked her to share that perspective.

“He told me, ‘I know why you’re going to that meeting — but his life is not our life.’”

She described the difficulty some students face when transferring into North Penn from other districts, citing how she raised two sets of children – two who came up here from Philadelphia and did not make it in North Penn, and two who were raised here from pre-K through 11th and 9th grade and are doing phenomenally well.

“It’s a hard school to navigate,” she said. 

Thomas urged the district to focus on root causes rather than only reacting to crises, or what she called “the fruit.”

“It seems like everyone knew this child had trauma except for the people who worked with him every day,” she said. “Mental health matters. We need to stop hitting at the fruit — the incident — and start looking at the root of what’s really going on here in North Penn when it comes to mental health, trauma, and the challenges faced by children who come into our community from outside of it. Because that transition is not easy.”

"It doesn’t cover the entire entry point ... You can walk around it"

Amy Hawthorne of Montgomery Township questioned why the Evolv scanners were not used at all entry points.

Hawthorne, who has a daughter in college, a son who is a senior at North Penn High School, and a ninth-grader at Penndale Middle School, said she was struck by what she observed inside the building.

“Yesterday, because of Tuesday’s incident, I had to go through the Evolv weapons-detection system — and I even took a photo of it. But my question is: it doesn’t cover the entire entry point. You can walk around it. So how secure is it really? And why isn’t it installed at all entry points into the high school?” she said.

She continued that she walked right into the high school Wednesday night at 6 for a showcase.

“The school was wide open. All I could think was: this is a very easy situation for somebody to come in, hide somewhere, and create a big problem the next day,” she said.

She pointed to additional access points as potential weak spots.

“You also have the entry point to the gym, and I don’t believe there’s an Evolv system there,” Hawthorne said. “Kids enter that way in the morning, as well as through the front and — I assume — the bus ramp. A security guard told me there is an Evolv unit over by the bus area, but not at every door.”

She ended her comments by sharing a personal memory.

“I grew up down South, in a high school that was maybe a third the size of North Penn,” she said. “I stood maybe ten yards away from a shooting at a football game when I was in high school — I graduated in 1993 — and my school has had metal detectors at every entry point, front, back, sides, and even at the stadium, for more than 30 years. North Penn is behind the eight ball. I just want to make sure you’re thinking about the future.”

"Why has everything taken so long?"

Lansdale business owner and board candidate on the Republican ballot Yanni Lambros said the district must act beyond election cycles.

“In the past, people were under the impression that this system was in place and used every day,” Lambros said, who runs Koffee Korner. “They didn’t know it was only being used at random. So if it’s not being used, why spend the money on it?”

    Lansdale business owner and parent Yanni Lambros (Credit: Screenshot/YouTube.com/NPTV)
  

He also questioned broader security staffing and timing issues.

“Why don’t we have enough security officers at our schools? Why has everything taken so long?” Lambros asked. “All of a sudden, we’re trying to get things done right before an election — and it seems like that happens every cycle. Either we do something right before, or we just talk about doing it, and then people forget. It’s not right. We’ve got to actually fix these problems and keep our children safe.”

“This allows animosity to build among kids” 

Jason Lanier of Lansdale said he has raised concerns with the board before about accountability and transparency.

“I’ve brought this up numerous times,” he said. “You vote 9-0 on just about everything, and you don’t really consider the ins and outs of what you’re approving. And when problems happen, they’re swept under the rug.”

He referenced prior issues such as the Stanley Cup incident at Pennbrook Middle School, which he said was discussed and then forgotten.

“I brought up those facts before,” Lanier said. “You engaged me about it, but then you let it go — and I don’t know why.”

Lanier cited statistics from the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Office of Safe Schools and its School Climate and Well-Being Discipline Data Repository, which tracks violent incidents and suspensions statewide.

“North Penn High School has a violence rate that’s 2.9 times higher than the state average,” he said. “Penndale is twice as high. Pennfield is 2.3 times the state average. And when you look at the county numbers, it’s even worse — Penndale is 2.8 times higher than the county average, and Pennfield is three and a half times higher. Penndale and Pennbrook both have rates far exceeding other Montgomery County schools,” he said.  

Lanier said that despite the elevated rates of violence, the district’s out-of-school suspension rates are average — something he believes shows a gap in accountability. He warned that inconsistent discipline sends a dangerous message to students.

“This allows animosity to build among kids,” Lanier said. “It just grows and grows.”

Board members reflect

Board Director Kunbi Rudnick said, like colleague Juliane Ramic, the event felt personal as a parent of two North Penn High School students.

“To say that I understand the feelings and emotions tonight is an understatement,” she said, thanking parents who spoke candidly, including Brown. “I got the same message that you all got at 12:40 p.m., and I had the same nervousness.”

    North Penn School Board Director Kunbi Rudnick (Credit: Screenshot/YouTube.com/NPTV)
  

She emphasized that the board and administration must keep students at the center of their work.

“We have to make sure we’re putting students first — and that’s what I’ve been focused on these past few days,” Rudnick said.

Rudnick joined others in praising those who responded to the crisis.

“When our adults do the right thing, our students are resilient, and God willing, they will continue to be fine,” she said.

Rudnick ended with a reminder that mental health remains central to the district’s responsibility.

“We need to continue focusing on that,” she said.

Director Timothy MacBain urged the community to channel emotion constructively. He said he agreed with Rudnick’s observation that students look to adults for guidance in moments of crisis.

“Kunbi is right when she says our kids are looking to us when things that should not happen, happen,” he said. “And believe me when I say that I share your combination of anger and confusion at what occurred. Hearing about this incident has triggered those same feelings for me as a parent.”

    North Penn School Board Director Timothy MacBain (Credit: Screenshot/YouTube.com/NPTV)
  

“I want to show my own daughters that even when we’re in places of tremendous emotion, that energy can be placed thoughtfully — in ways that help others,” MacBain said. “We have to take care of the members of our community to the extent that we can, and we must continue to try to do more.”

Board member Al Roesch, who is seeking re-election on the Democratic ticket, praised staff connections with students, stating his grandson will be attending the high school next year. Roesch praised the familiarity and sense of community among North Penn staff.

“Bernie — and I think everyone here knows who I mean — Bernie knows everybody who walks into that school,” he said, referring to Jones, who helped safely detain the student during Tuesday’s incident. “I'm proud of that great environment and I'm sad this incident happened and I'm sure we'll work our way through this to come to a better solution.”

Later in the night, Kassa urged further study of state laws and student data reporting. He shared figures illustrating North Penn’s financial commitment to school safety over the past several years.  

“In 2020–21, we invested $1.7 million. The following year increased by 6 percent to $1.88 million. Then two more annual increases of 4.8 percent each brought that total to just over $2 million by the 2023–24 school year. For 2024–25, there’s another 17.6 percent increase. These numbers represent our local tax dollars being invested directly into protecting our students,” he said.

Kassa quoted a phrase from a colleague in the national school safety community.

“A student earlier tonight said something that reminded me of what Max Schachter, who lost his son Alex in the Parkland tragedy, told me,” Kassa said. “He said, ‘No education is worthwhile to a dead student.’ That’s something our students already understand deeply, given the anxiety they live with today.”

Closing remarks

Before adjournment, McMurtrie thanked those who spoke and again praised security staff.

“I want to thank the audience this evening,” she said. “I thought it was an extremely thoughtful, respectful, and informative public comment session on a very, very important issue.”

McMurtrie also took a moment to personally acknowledge those who acted during Tuesday’s incident.

“Your bravery and commitment to safety at our school are extraordinary. You put yourselves on the line — as Bernie did — and it doesn’t fall short to say that what you did went beyond what anyone could have expected,” she said. “We thank you very, very, very much.”

The district’s Safe Schools Committee will meet Monday night, with Chief Timothy Troxel of Towamencin Police scheduled to attend.

“We are all incredibly grateful that everyone's safe. I want to again commend those of you who immediately stepped into action. I'm proud of you and the job that you did,” Bauer said.  

He then read from an email from a parent: “I was speaking with a parent today who wrote an email that was very critical of the school district, and I just offered to call him. We talked for over 40 minutes this afternoon. I did ask him for permission to share this, and he said absolutely.”

“But at the end of the conversation, he did say to me, ‘Look, after hearing all of that and all that you guys went through, I cannot imagine how it could have been handled better in that moment. Here I am criticizing all of you in an email for not communicating faster. And I now realize that you were trying to handle a crisis with a couple thousand kids in the building and communicate all of that information and not cause more chaos. I sincerely appreciate all that everyone did to handle the situation and thank you.’”

For more on the incident and related charges, read NorthPennNow’s previous coverage:

• Weapon found at North Penn High School Tuesday, student taken into custody
• Teen facing felony charges for bringing 9mm handgun to North Penn High School, police say

Editor's note: This article misquoted Dr. Todd Bauer, with quotes that should have been attributed to Director Al Roesch, and an email read by Bauer, as well as misidentifying Penndale as the site of the Stanley Cup attack, and has since been amended.