Three firearms found at Norman High School on Sept. 16 were part of a broader pattern in Oklahoma, where at least five weapon incidents hit public schools in September, the OU Daily reported.

The OU Daily reported that weapons were discovered or threatened at schools in Norman, Yukon, El Reno, the Mid-Del district and Stillwater during the month.

What happened at Norman High

The Norman Police Department took two 14-year-old males into custody after administration received a report that a student may have had a firearm, according to NPS communications coordinator Jaron Spor. Two of the guns were in a backpack. The third was being carried on one of the students.

Norman High was placed on a hold at 12:22 p.m. and released at 1:43 p.m. Families were notified afterward.

Charges were presented to the Cleveland County District Attorney's Office on Sept. 21. One student was charged with possession of a firearm on school property and knowingly concealing stolen property. The second was charged with possession of a firearm on school property and carrying a loaded firearm.

Other incidents across the region

KOCO 5 reported that on Sept. 17, a 12-year-old Yukon Middle School student was arrested after bringing a gun to school in a backpack. Authorities later found the firearm at the student's home.

On Sept. 21, a 14-year-old El Reno student was arrested after posting a TikTok threat displaying a firearm, which led to a lockdown at Etta Dale Junior High.

The OU Daily also reported a Mid-Del Career Academy student was arrested after a pistol was found in their car. A Stillwater High School student was taken into custody Sept. 24 for possession of a firearm on school property.

Parents push for daily screening

At least one Norman parent has publicly called for daily weapons screening at the school. Norman parent Emily Breathwit, whose son attends Norman High, told KOCO 5 in a Sept. 17 interview: "If you can tell me every single time my child is not wearing their school ID, you can sure tell me if their life is in danger."

Norman Public Schools confirmed it uses weapons detection systems only at events like athletic games, not during regular school days. The district's Board of Education approved $359,900 for weapons detection equipment from Metrasens Inc. in September 2023, according to board minutes.

The district has 26 sworn law enforcement officers assigned as school resource officers (SROs), stationed at every school including elementary campuses. NPS also operates a Speak Up for Safety reporting tool that allows students and others to report concerns anonymously by phone, text or email.

Inside Norman High on Sept. 16

Lyla Gaubert, a University of Oklahoma education senior who was student-teaching at Norman High on Sept. 16, told the OU Daily for its Sept. 29 report that she was in the hallway when the hold was announced.

Gaubert said the announcement sounded casual enough that people did not take it seriously. She left the building during the hold and later learned firearms had been involved.

District and state response

NPS Superintendent Nick Migliorino sent a statement to staff and families the week of the Sept. 16 incident, calling the presence of a firearm on campus a serious safety concern. An NPS spokesperson told the OU Daily in an email that the district reviews and evaluates its safety protocols after any incident.

Joe Dorman, CEO of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, told KOCO 5 on Sept. 22 that lawmakers have explored measures including tax credits for gun safes and a mobile panic alert system implemented through HB 4073 during the 2024 legislative session.

Oklahoma officials also urged families to use the free Protect OK app to report safety concerns anonymously, according to a KOCO 5 report published Sept. 25.

No NPS board meeting or community forum on updated safety protocols has been publicly scheduled.