Gun found in student altercation

MANOR — A 17-year-old Bastrop student was arrested when a gun was found on school grounds during an incident that involved others from Bastrop and Elgin.

Police from Manor Independent School District made the arrest Jan. 10 after a verbal altercation between the Bastrop County students in a truck and Manor High School student pedestrians near their campus. The Bastrop student was a passenger in a truck driven by an adult male, who was issued a traffic citation. Others in the vehicle, three students from Elgin ISD and another from Bastrop ISD, were issued a criminal trespassing warning.

“Due to the actions of school leadership and district law enforcement, a potentially critical and tragic situation was avoided,” said Manor ISD Chief of Police Clarence Yarbrough in a letter to parents and staff.

According to officials, the incident was sparked by off-campus social media and text chatter. On the afternoon of the arrest, the truck occupants began to engage with the MHS students before administrators, campus police and security intervened to de-escalate the situation. The Manor students were then brought inside the campus office for safety.

“I happened to be on campus at the time of the incident and pursued the truck for a short distance before the vehicle stopped in front of the campus,” said Yarbrough.

The gun was found and confiscated in a vehicle search. The Bastrop student in possession of the firearm was charged with a weapon violation.