Kelly student arrested, accused of bringing gun to school

A 18-year-old Thomas W. Kelly High School student was arrested Thursday on suspicion of bringing a gun and marijuana to school.

Landon M. Urhahn, 18, of Benton, Missouri, has been charged with unlawful use of a weapon, misdemeanor possession of less than 35 grams of marijuana and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia.

Urhahn was part of a large verbal argument at school Wednesday based on assault that had taken place off school property several days earlier, a news release from the Scott County Sheriff's Department stated.

During that argument, Urhahn reportedly said he had a gun in his vehicle, the news release stated.

After an alert from school officials, Scott County sheriff's deputies found a 9 mm pistol and ammunition in Urhahn's vehicle, along with a substance believed to be marijuana and drug paraphernalia, the news release stated.

In a statement Thursday, Scott County School District superintendent Fara Jones said the district is cooperating with officers.

"The presence of firearms and weapons poses a substantial risk of serious harm to district students, staff and community members," Jones said in the statement. "Therefore, possession of firearms and weapons is prohibited on school premises at all times except for law-enforcement officials. Individuals found to be in violation of this policy will be dealt with severely. The district takes this matter very seriously and is cooperating fully with law enforcement in its investigation of this matter."

Urhahn's arrest comes about a year and a half after a Kelly student was killed by an accidental gunshot to the head on school property.

On June 23, 2014, 15-year-old Kaden Robert had just finished playing basketball with three other boys at the school when he got into a truck that contained two firearms. One of the other students was passing a gun to Robert when it discharged, the Scott County Sheriff's Department reported.

The department declared the shooting an accident, but two of the students involved were suspended for a year, following district policy.

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Pertinent address:

4035 Highway 77, Benton, Mo.