Ontario Police Department Press Release
Press Release. Ontario, Oregon Police Department Date: September 17, 2025
On September 17, 2025, at approximately 7:50 a.m., Ontario High School staff and the Ontario Police Department School Resource Officer (SRO) were given information/a tip that a 16-year-old male student was possibly in possession of a handgun while on school property.
The school staff and SRO acted immediately and located the student, discovering a handgun inside his backpack. During the course of the investigation, it was also determined that a second male juvenile, age 16, was believed to be in possession of a firearm. The SRO and school staff promptly located the second student and confirmed he, too, was in possession of a handgun in his backpack. There haven’t been any reported threats made to students or school staff.
Both juveniles were taken into custody without incident, removed from Ontario High School property, and transferred to the custody of the Malheur County Juvenile Department. They were both later transported to a juvenile detention center. The investigation and filed criminal charges will be forwarded to the Malheur County District Attorney for prosecution.
Following the arrests, Ontario High School staff and the Ontario Police Department worked together to ensure the school was secure and safe. Currently, there is no evidence of any ongoing or active threat to the school, its students, or staff.
This incident highlights the importance of students, staff, parents, and community members practicing the principle of “If You See Something, Say Something.” We encourage parents to talk with their children about the importance of immediately reporting suspicious activity or concerning behavior to an adult, school staff member, or law enforcement. Working together, we can keep our schools safe.
The Ontario Police Department continues to investigate this incident and has conducted further interviews and searches. Currently this incident is believed to be isolated. Due to the ongoing investigation no further details will be released at this time.
The Ontario Police Department would like to thank the Ontario High School staff and School District staff for their immediate action to ensure the safety of students and staff. Their zero tolerance toward incidents involving weapons of any kind were critical in bringing this situation to a safe conclusion.
Lieutenant J. Swank
Ontario, OR Police Department
