2023-09-14 02:15:38
After a box of ammunition was discovered Wednesday morning in the ceiling of a Culpeper County High School bathroom, hundreds of students took shelter inside the campus after being ordered to “stay in place.”
But one senior—Sheriff Scott Jenkins’ son—did not.
Two law enforcement sources with knowledge of the incident and a parent from the high school confirmed to our sister network News4’s investigative team that the 17-year-old left school during the order, which lasted 3.5 hours. They said he grabbed a tactical vest from his truck and joined authorities responding inside and outside the school.
It is not clear who ordered him to do it or why.
Under Virginia law, any law enforcement officer, including sheriff’s officers, must be 18 years old and have a high school diploma or its equivalent. If the teenager was at school on Wednesday morning, it is unlikely that he would have it.
Culpeper sheriff’s personnel records obtained by the investigative team earlier this year show the juvenile is employed by his father’s department.
The same documents show that he started last summer and earns $19,000 a year, all while continuing to study. The sheriff’s office would only confirm Wednesday that two employees share the same first and last name as the agency’s leader’s son.
A spokesperson for the Culpeper Sheriff’s Office told the investigative team, “We had numerous personnel on scene and everyone was in some type of police attire.” [Oficina del Alguacil del Condado Culpepper] so they could be identified while providing assistance during the incident.”
Additional questions from the investigative team about why the sheriff’s son was there were not answered.
As for the incident itself, it concluded at 2:05 pm after law enforcement searched the building.
“One of our employees was performing his daily bathroom checks and noticed a loose ceiling tile, which caused him to look inside the ceiling where he found an ammunition box. “This discovery triggered a response from the authorities,” a school spokesperson said in a statement. “School officials collaborated with law enforcement to ensure safety. The law enforcement response included a police dog search of the entire building, which required the continuation of the ‘shelter in place order’ to be done safely. “No other dangerous objects were found.”
The school district sent a text to parents Wednesday night saying, “Out of an abundance of caution there will be an increased law enforcement presence on the Culpeper High School campus tomorrow.”
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