St. Croix, VI - On Monday, March 6, 2023, at approximately 1:00 p.m., officers from the School Security Bureau at the Central High School were alerted by staff, that they found a backpack containing marijuana and a 9mm weapon that was fully loaded. Upon searching the bag by staff at the school is when all the items were discovered. At this time, it is unknown who owns the bag.

The Department of Education takes this matter very seriously. According to Dr. Dionne Wells-Hedrington, Commissioner of Department of Education, "We continue to work closely with the Virgin Islands Police Department to ensure the safety and security of our schools, which is a top priority. We look forward to the outcome of the investigation and are actively looking into implementing additional safety procedures on our campuses territory wide."

This matter is currently still under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the School Security Bureau at (340) 778-2211 ext. 6140.