KENOSHA — A 16-year-old student brought a loaded gun into Bradford High School in Kenosha on Wednesday morning, according to police.
The incident occurred just minutes after the first school bell rang. Elenia Bella, whose daughter is a freshman at Bradford, received a text from her child asking what was happening.
"And I'm not there, how would I know what's happening at Bradford," Bella said.
According to the Kenosha Unified School District, the school was immediately placed on hold. Investigators say the school resource officer encountered resistance when attempting to search the teen, leading to a struggle before the student was taken into custody.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so happy they got the gun from this child. That could have ended so differently. This could be a very different conversation," Bella said.
Watch: Loaded gun found at Kenosha's Bradford High School sparks more parent concerns
This marks the latest in a series of weapon-related incidents in Kenosha schools. In November 2024, a 13-year-old was arrested after bringing an airsoft gun into Roosevelt Elementary School. The following month, a student brought a gun inside Indian Trail school.
Last week, 16-year-old Isiah Cooper, a Bradford student, was shot and killed in Kenosha, though the incident occurred off school grounds.
"I think it's enough to break any parent's heart, anybody that has grown up here," Bella said.
The incidents have prompted calls for enhanced safety measures. Bella suggested the district could implement better screening during registration.
"If they started asking us at registration if we are gun owners, and following that up with how we secure our weapons," Bella said.
While acknowledging budget constraints around metal detectors, Bella emphasized the need for additional precautions.
"We can't snap our fingers and get money for metal detectors," she said.
Superintendent Jeff Weiss said the district's safety committee is developing a policy that would allow handheld metal detectors in schools. He emphasized the importance of student reporting in preventing these incidents.
"We do everything we can to do that. And I would say one of our biggest tools in doing that is students talking. Having that. Notifying the see something, say something," Weiss said.
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