Two recent security breaches at Cheltenham School District properties have lead to criminal charges and caused township officials to review procedures, police said on Friday.
One of the two incidents involved a man getting into the Cheltenham High School and pulling the firearm, causing police and fire crews to arrive at the scene, officials said.
According to police, 19-year-old John Bowden, who graduated from the high school and was previously banned from the property, took a school bus and entered the high school on Wednesday, Oct. 8, without permission.
Surveillance video showed Bowden walking through the halls and pulling the fire alarm, court documents said.
Additionally, when police caught up with Bowden after the incident, he was found to have an air soft Mac-10 machine gun that looked real in his backpack.
“Every officer thought it was a real firearm,” an officer told NBC10.
The incident was the second security breach on school property in recent weeks, with a homeless man staying overnight at the Cheltenham School District Administration Building on Sept. 25, police said.
A worker arrived the next morning to find the homeless man sleeping in a closet.
The Cheltenham School District said in a statement to NBC10 that they were aware of both incidents and is fully cooperating with the town’s police department for the investigations.
The district also said that the safety of their students, faculty and staff were their highest priority and that they were reviewing all safety and security procedures.
However, officials did not want to comment on what specific changes they were considering.
Bowden faces several criminal charges, including possession of a weapon, and is being held in Montgomery County Prison with $99,000 bail, according to court documents.
NBC10 reached out to Bowden’s attorney for comment and did not hear back.
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