Arrest warrant issued for Clovis High student

Editor’s note: The Eastern New Mexico News does not routinely report names of juveniles suspected of crimes, primarily because juvenile court records are not public.

An arrest warrant was issued Wednesday night for a 16-year-old Clovis High School student accused of fighting with school staff who searched his backpack where they found a gun.

The student, who fled the school after the altercation, remained at large Friday. He is charged with unlawfully carrying a deadly weapon on school premises.

No injuries were reported and no shots were fired. School Superintendent Renee Russ said officials were “unaware of any threatening statements made by the student.”

Police records obtained by The News show the incident began when the student was accused of vaping while skipping class at school. Two staff members, Principal David Fredericks and a school counselor, told the student they were going to search his backpack.

As the counselor opened the backpack, the student “charged at her,” records show. “Mr. Fredericks was able to grab hold of (the student), pulling him off … as she was struggling with (the student) who had grabbed hold of the backpack.”

Once the backpack had been secured, the student fled out a door and left campus, the records show.

Inside the backpack was a Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol, loaded with 18 rounds of ammunition, records show. Police said the gun had been reported stolen on Aug. 15.

The school was locked down for about 10 minutes following the incident. Police reported everyone was “safe and okay.”

The student had been on juvenile probation, police records show, but it wasn’t immediately clear what those charges involved.