April 17, 2008 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

Gun scare closes Penn Charter
by Jennifer Katz

Classes resumed Monday on the campus of William Penn Charter School in East Falls after a parent of a student reported having her purse containing a 44-caliber handgun taken from her car while she visited the school on Friday, April 11.

The woman told police she had just purchased the gun for protection due to a domestic dispute and left the gun in her purse because she did not want to take it into the school.

School officials sent students home and closed the school after the incident was reported. Police and K-9 dogs searched the school’s buildings and campus but did not find the handgun.

The vehicle was parked near the lower school building on campus and there was no sign of forced entry. The woman said she thought she had locked the car.

During a meeting with faculty and staff on Monday morning, Head of School Daryl Ford said there had never been a break-in on campus, and police also said there has never been a theft from vehicles on campus either, although both have occurred in the surrounding area.

School officials said there were no reports of suspicious activity on campus that day and that the car was only left unattended for 10 minutes.

On Monday, it was business as usual, said Director of Communications Sharon Sexton.