Notes: 14-year-old charged with possession of a firearm in Alexandria City High School incident

Good Tuesday morning, Alexandria!

⛅ Today’s weather: Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 51 and low of 31.
🌤 Tomorrow: Clear throughout the day. High of 49 and low of 31. Sunrise at 6:32 am and sunset at 6:08 pm.

🚨 You need to know

A 14-year-old Alexandria City High School (ACHS) student has been charged with possession of a firearm on school property after an incident yesterday that caused the school to go into “secure the building” status.

In a message to parents, ACHS Principal Peter Balas said a teacher confiscated an unloaded handgun from the student around 9:15 a.m. The build was placed into “secure the building” status — meaning operations continue inside the school but no one can enter or leave — while the school worked with the Alexandria Police Department (APD).

The Washington Post reported later that the student was charged with possession of a firearm on school property.

A recent report found that last year, there were 28 incidents involving weapons in Alexandria City Public Schools, with weapons seized including a gun, a stun gun, knives, two fake weapons and pepper spray. The School Board recently approved a pilot to install metal detectors in some of the schools.

📈 Monday’s most read

The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for Mar 6, 2023.

1. JUST IN: Alexandria City High School teacher confiscates handgun from a student (2955 views)
2. Popular steak and seafood restaurant in Old Town could get an outdoor seating boost (2886 views)
3. Notes: Wall Street Journal piece targets ‘Save Del Ray’ controversy (1068 views)
4. Full redevelopment of Old Town North block heading to Planning Commission (709 views)

🗞 Other local coverage

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• Alexandria Fire Department Deputy Chief Brian Hricik Dies
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• Stakes High with Bid for BISD
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• Illuminated Signage For The Birchmere Up For City Approval
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• Student With Gun Incident Resolved At Alexandria City High School
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• Photos: 2023 Alexandria Wedding Showcase
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• 1 Killed In Alexandria Shooting Classified As Homicide
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• Alexandria Concierge Dr. Vivek Sinha Shares Tips to Avoid Getting Sick This Winter
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• Alexandria Chamber of Commerce Celebrates New Chair with Reception at Mount Vernon Estate
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• In Alexandria, Lena’s Second Annual Meatball Madness is on March 11
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• PHOTOS: Dinner Could Not be Finer at Van Dorn Diner in Alexandria’s West End
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• River Farm Spring Garden Market is Coming in April
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• Center for Alexandria’s Children 12th Annual Gala at Torpedo Factory Draws 250 Guests and Posthumously Honors Kerry Donley
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• Spitfire Club in Alexandria Celebrates Five Years of Girl Empowerment
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• Senior Services of Alexandria’s Gala Will Celebrate 55 Years of Service to Older Adults
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• Identifying the Flavor Profiles of African American Culture
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• Love is on the Dance Floor at Alexandria’s Annual Seniors Valentine’s Party
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• Goodwin Living Foundation Names Joan Renner Board Chair
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• “Craft as Comfort” in Woodlawn’s 60th Needlework Show
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• Environmental Strain Is Bringing Out Bed Bugs
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• Del. Bennett-Parker At Work in the Virginia General Assembly
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• Comedy Clips and the “Ouch” Factor Alive on Ridiculousness
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• The Crowd Gathers for the Mt Vernon Town Meeting!
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• Alexandria Attorney Paul Dean Asks, “How Healthy Is Your Small Business?”
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• BOOK REVIEW: The Presidents in Quirky Illustrated Verse is Satirical Poke at All Our Presidents
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• Del Ray Farmers’ Market Wins Heart of Del Ray Award
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• Dan Storck’s “Ides of Bark” Returns to Grist Mill Park Sunday, March 26, 1 – 4 p.m.
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🐦 Tweets of note

Checking out the new Del Pepper Community Resource Center with my colleague @j_chapman99

Great to see so many of our City services under the same roof on the West End! pic.twitter.com/qCY8W0NChM

— Justin Wilson (@justindotnet) March 6, 2023

📅 Upcoming events

Here is what’s going on today in Alexandria, from our event calendar.

• 6:30 pm: RiverRenew Community Listening Sessions
• 6:30 pm: RiverRenew Community Listening Sessions