In this 2016 photo, students walk past a large wall of windows at the Pilot Butte Middle School library.

The Pilot Butte Middle School student who brought a loaded handgun to school on Monday had a list of targets, police said, and is being held in a juvenile detention facility on suspicion of attempted murder, first-degree attempted assault, disorderly conduct, unlawful use of a weapon and first-degree theft.

The child’s parent has been cited for allegedly violating an Oregon law that requires the safe storage of firearms.

The student, who was arrested Monday, “had brought the gun to school with a plan to use it and had an identified list of targets,” Bend Police said Thursday. Everyone identified on that list has been contacted by police.

In addition, police said they arrested a second child after students and families reported rumors of additional threats to Pilot Butte Middle School this week. Bend Police found the student was making widespread but not credible threats and arrested that child on suspicion of second-degree disorderly conduct.

Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steve Cook said in a statement that the district would continue to provide counseling at Pilot Butte Middle School.

“We stand with our students, staff and families in expressing significant concern over the details emerging from the police investigation of the Oct. 21 incident at Pilot Butte Middle School,” Cook said. “At the same time, we are so relieved and grateful for the actions of our staff and School Resource Officer in preventing what could have been a tragic outcome.”

Bend Police are not releasing the name of the student who brought the gun or their parent. The incident remains under investigation, said Bend Police spokeswoman Sheila Miller. However, the citation suggested the 12-year-old obtained the firearm from the home.

The incident happened shortly after 10 a.m. Monday when the juvenile told a teacher that they had a gun. A Bend Police school resource officer confiscated the weapon within minutes of being notified, Miller said, and the student was taken to the Deschutes Count Juvenile Detention Facility.

“This might have been much worse if not for the actions of Pilot Butte Middle School staff and the school resource officer,” said District Attorney Steve Gunnels. “These kinds of incidents are largely preventable and these parents would be dealing with much more serious consequence than a fine if anyone had been hurt in this situation.”

This incident is the first time a parent has been cited by Bend Police for letting a minor get access to a firearm. Only two other citations have ever been issued under the 2021 law that requires the safe storage of firearms.

The statute, passed by the Oregon Legislatures after months of debate, states broadly that all firearms in Oregon must be secured in a gun room, locked container or with an engaged trigger lock. It’s a Class C civil violation unless a minor obtains an unsecured firearm, which can escalate it to a more serious Class A violation.

A Class A violation, which is what this parent was cited for, has a maximum penalty of $2,000. This is the same class of violation and fine applied to drivers traveling more than 30 miles per hour over the speed limit.

On Tuesday night, the Bend La Pine school board discussed the Pilot Butte Middle School incident and parents’ responsibility to make sure firearms are secured in the home.

“As a parent it is your job to make sure your students in our schools are safe,” said board member Amy Tatom. “And if a student brings a gun to school, it is because, as a parent, you are not keeping your student safe and you are not keeping our community safe.”

State Rep. Emerson Levy, D-Bend, , who represents the Bend and Redmond area, said lawmakers might take a second look at Oregon’s gun safety storage laws in light of this incident.

“While lawmakers haven’t had an opportunity to convene and discuss this issue, 27 other states, red and blue, have higher and more serious penalties for leaving a gun loaded and accessible to a child,” Levy told The Bulletin.

Bend middle schooler arrested after bringing loaded handgun to school

What to know about Oregon’s gun laws